#AdvocacyMatters: More Than A Guide

May 20, 2022 / #AdvocacyMatters

The transition from youth to adulthood is always complex. When the young person on this journey towards adulthood happens to have a disability, these complexities and challenge quickly magnify. Resources for young people with disabilities navigating this path are often confusing – if they can be found at all – creating clouds of uncertainty, missed opportunities, and many futures perhaps not as bright as their potential would have supported.

Earlier this week we released “RISE UP,” a practical guide for young advocates with disabilities. This new resource guide covers a comprehensive range of topics, from Housing and Employment to Education and Health needs. The guide is available in both English and Spanish, and in formats optimized for either print or interactive digital use. Designed to be utilized as the different content sections are needed throughout the transition to adulthood, there are breakouts throughout the guide to assist young people in defining problems, envisioning solutions, and setting goals. There are also prep sheets built into all versions of the guide to help organize thoughts and needs ahead of appointments that can often become high-anxiety situations, like meeting with doctors or attorneys.

Creating a comprehensive resource like “RISE UP” wouldn’t have been possible on our own. It was only with the support and partnership of The Columbus Foundation, the Mabel and Vernon Watts Educational Foundation, and Alfred L. Willson Charitable Funds that this guide came to be. Equity in our communities and across our state cannot be achieved until each person has access to the tools and information they need to be successful. Because the steadfast belief that #AdvocacyMatters is a core value for both Disability Rights Ohio and our partners, we’ll keep creating and sharing the tools our society so badly needs.