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Networking Lobbying and Advocacy in the field of Social Work

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In the previous post we learned about Governmental Programs and Schemes for People with Disabilities This post shows how social work helps disabled people. The reader will be able to: 

  • Understand social work practise in the subject of disability 
  • Understand a social worker's role

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Need for Networking Lobbying and Advocacy
  3. Networking
  4. Advocacy
  5. Lobbying 

Introduction

A disabled person's life might be quite challenging. The individual must deal not only with how their impairment affects their capacity to carry out daily activities, but also with the repercussions of interacting with complex human services systems and the unfavourable attitudes of others. These service systems and the political objectives that steer them are prone to being confused. If a person with a disability's basic needs are not satisfied, it can lead to very poor and fruitless life in which they are vulnerable to abuse or neglect. Therefore, people with disabilities can become extremely vulnerable, particularly if they lack a voice and the means to affect positive change in their life. People with disabilities should enjoy valued lives that are on par with those that are available to other citizens. They are worthy of no less. Strong social advocacy is required on behalf of vulnerable people with disabilities because responses to them can often be woefully inadequate. Some people with disabilities live in extremely impoverished, hazardous, or punishing circumstances, and their fundamental requirements for assistance, care, and shelter are not being provided. In order to affect meaningful and long-lasting change in these people's lives, it is crucial to assume the position of speaking for their interests. The goal of advocacy work is to persuade those working in the community, in government, and in positions of power to change things for the better. Meeting people's basic needs and addressing and resolving the unfair and damaging events and behaviours that have an impact on the lives of these impaired individuals are the key goals.

Need for Networking Lobbying and Advocacy

The act of publicly pleading in favour of or in support of someone or something is sometimes referred to as advocacy. However, as history has shown, advocating on behalf of handicapped individuals can be utilised for good or for bad. In order to lessen vulnerability and produce a better life for the person, advocates might be selective in what they support and how they carry out their activity. However, an advocate may support destructive causes or do so in a way that increases the victim's susceptibility, which could lead to abuse, neglect, or even a victim's death (as was the case during the eugenics movement and during Hitler's rule). A disabled person's life might be quite challenging. The individual must deal not only with how their impairment affects their capacity to carry out daily activities, but also with the repercussions of interacting with complex human services systems and the unfavourable attitudes of others. These service systems and the political objectives that steer them are prone to being confused. If a person with a disability's basic needs are not satisfied, it can lead to very poor and fruitless life in which they are vulnerable to abuse or neglect. Therefore, people with disabilities may become extremely vulnerable, especially if they lack a voice and other tools for influencing life-changing decisions.

People with disabilities should enjoy valued lives that are on par with those that are available to other citizens. They are worthy of no less. Strong social advocacy is required on behalf of vulnerable people with disabilities because responses to them can often be woefully inadequate. Some people with disabilities live in extremely impoverished, hazardous, or punishing circumstances, and their fundamental requirements for assistance, care, and shelter are not being provided.

In order to affect meaningful and long-lasting change in these people's lives, it is crucial to assume the position of speaking for their interests. The goal of advocacy work is to persuade those working in the community, in government, and in positions of power to change things for the better. Meeting people's basic needs and addressing and resolving the unfair and damaging events and behaviours that have an impact on the lives of these impaired individuals are the key goals.

Although lobbying is necessary to promote governments, services, and communities that are more receptive to the demands of persons with disabilities, we also require much more to improve the conditions of the individuals. In order to address concerns on behalf of vulnerable people with disabilities, represent their needs and interests, and secure a better life for them, we thus think effective social advocacy is necessary.

Networking

Because of the scarcity of emotional, social, and peer support available to disabled persons, many of them face social isolation. Disabled people are more likely to participate in the community if they have the support of their peers. Connecting with others, forming and maintaining connections, and exploring local community possibilities are all aims of social networking programmes for people with disabilities. By "networking," we mean exchanging data in a way that benefits both parties. Organizations and individuals can readily meet to discuss mutual interests through networking, the most informal form of trade and cooperation. Even though trust is often expressed through networking, the reality is that many people have limited time and resources and are reluctant to provide too much in terms of their own authority and resources. While networking is a necessary component of successful collaboration, it is not enough to qualify as collaboration in and of itself.

Advocacy

Advocacy can be described as the practical application of knowledge for social change. Government policies, regulations, and processes, as well as our own behaviour, can be subject to change. Advocacy, then, is an act of supporting an issue and persuading decision-makers on how to support that issue. When you think about it, this definition shows you that advocacy is not just a one-way street. Advocacy is clearly defined as a process that aims to achieve a specific goal. Motivating and organising the community is at the heart of advocacy. It all begins with a small group of people who are concerned about the same issue and are prepared to put in the time, effort, and resources necessary to see a solution through to fruition. [note 1] For those who are unfamiliar with the term "advocacy," here's a good beginning point:

Advocacy promotes equality, social justice and social inclusion. It can empower people to speak up for themselves. Advocacy can help people become more aware of their own rights, to exercise those rights and be involved in and influence decisions that are being made about their future. (Lee, 2007:7)

Advocacy includes:

  • Bringing a crucial issue to the notice of decision-makers and pointing them toward a resolution
  • Influencing all levels of decision-making
  • Mobilising community members to involve other areas of the community 
  • Enhancing the transparency and accountability of local governments, public services, and institutions

Advocacy can be divided in three types of activities, including:

  1. Representation: to speak on their own or in other’s name in public 
  2. Mobilization: to encourage others to speak in public with you 
  3. Empowerment: to let others know they have the right to speak in public and have the right to be heard.
Advocacy support roles include
    1. Standing Behind - supplying assistance (such as instruction, knowledge, and guidance) that enables the individual to act as their own advocate
    2. Standing with someone and helping them raise issues with others by giving them suggestions and reminders, for example.
    3. Standing before and acting as an advocate (e.g. acting or speaking on behalf of the person)
    Disability support professionals, or "advocates," are frequently required to "stand behind" people with disabilities so they can:
    • understand their rights and responsibilities 
    • self advocate 
    • make choices and decisions 
    • understand the consequences of their choices and decisions 
    • become self confident and appropriately assertive 
    • help build a strong and collaborative personal support network or “team”
    The dissemination of knowledge is one of the most crucial ways disability support professionals carry out this empowering function. People with disabilities are given the information in a way that will help them comprehend their rights and obligations. Disability support professionals should make sure they are knowledgeable about the various communication needs and the unique requirements of every client, and they should offer suitable types of "enabling" information.

    Disability support workers are also often expected to ‘stand beside’ people with a disability to:
    • Effectively and appropriately defend their rights and interests (for example, to maintain composure or confidence in oneself)
    • Make their thoughts, opinions, and conclusions known to others in an appropriate and effective Withstand pressure, trickery, or improper influence from others (by, for example, learning to refuse).
    Even while this is a function that many support staff members normally play, it is also an advocate support role that, depending on the circumstances, could lead to claims of manipulation, undue influence, or conflict of interest.

    Disability support staff should be aware of the possibility of projecting their own, more strong interests or values while helping a person with a disability to establish their rights or interests. Regardless of the staff member's intentions, the perception of such a conflict of interest could be troublesome in and of itself.

    This is not to argue that individuals who work with people with disabilities shouldn't "stand beside" those who have disabilities; in fact, providing such assistance is frequently a crucial component of their position as general support providers. Instead, it emphasises the necessity for disability support professionals to be aware of the possibility of a conflict of interest and the need to reduce such risk.

    In order to prevent circumstances where they can be seen as having undue influence or a potential conflict of interest, disability support workers must continually be "mindful" of their own influence and power.

    Additionally, those who provide assistance and advise to people with disabilities need to be continually aware that their actions are intended to help the disabled person form and express his or her own beliefs freely and independently. Disability support professionals should develop ways to reduce risk in situations where there is a potential conflict of interest. For instance, by making sure significant concerns are discussed during the individual planning process, by asking others for advice or help, by asking superiors for direction, by consulting with and/or deferring to family members and/or independent advocates.

    Staff members are sometimes required to ‘stand before’ people with disability to:
    • speak or act on their behalf 
    • defend their rights 
    • protect their interests, care and wellbeing  
    Staff employees need to be extremely aware of the following difficulties before taking on a "representative" role:

    All adults with disabilities who are at least 18 years old must be presumed to have the capacity to make their own decisions in accordance with the principle of self-determination. Staff members should never attempt to speak or act on behalf of someone who is capable of making their own decisions and asserting their own rights and interests.

    When a person with a disability needs assistance asserting or defending his or her rights and interests, that assistance should come from the family, friends, advocates, or guardians who were included in the person-centered individual planning process.

    When a person with a disability needs someone to speak or act in certain situations on his or her behalf, this representation should be specified and agreed upon within the framework of the person's plan. For instance, a parent or sibling could be designated to handle the individual's financial concerns with regard to a supported housing service, or a friend could be designated to plan social outings.

    It is commonly understood that parents or other family members will act informally as a person's advocate when that person lacks the ability to do so. It may be essential to engage or appoint an independent advocate when a person with a disability lacks the ability to effectively represent his or her rights and interests and informal advocacy support arrangements are deemed insufficient.

    The goal of advocacy is to bring about social change. The process of change can occasionally be drawn out, necessitates sacrifices, patience, and commitment, and frequently calls for giving everything you have, teamwork with other organisations inside your business as well as with partners or coalitions, communication, and openness. A number of actions are conducted as part of advocacy in an effort to alter laws, customs, and mindsets. The risk that the change they are campaigning for may occur much later or perhaps that nothing has changed must be accepted by those who engage in advocacy and strive to transform society.

    Lobbying 

    Advocacy frequently entails targeted lobbying of decision-makers. Since lobbying is a difficult and delicate undertaking, one must go into it very well-prepared. This word refers to the House of Parliament's lobby in Anglo-Saxon culture. People who wanted a certain issue handled in their favour waited in that lobby for members of Parliament and attempted to influence them (i.e., lobby) to take a position in favour of the issue they were interested in. Therefore, the term "lobbying" refers to all efforts to persuade decision-makers to take action that the community or particular individuals find important or concerning, whether such actions are political or not. The fundamental goal of lobbying, which is a targeted action, is to directly influence those who make decisions. Local policies, such as the strategy for the development of local communities or the strategy for social or health care, environmental protection, employment, etc., are strategic documents by which the community decides the direction and objectives for its work in a designated area of jurisdiction in a determined time frame. We are developing local action plans based on those documents to bring about the desired improvements.
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