There is no single right definition or approach to Systems Advocacy. Our working definition* of systems advocacy is:
Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes - including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions - that directly affect people's lives.
Advocacy consists of organized efforts and actions based on the reality of "what is." These organized actions seek to highlight critical issues that have been ignored and submerged, to influence public attitudes, and to enact and implement laws and public policies so that visions of "what should be" in a just, decent society become a reality. Human rights - political, economic, and social - is an overreaching framework for these visions. Advocacy organizations draw their strength from and are accountable to people - their members, constituents, and/or members of affected groups.
Advocacy has purposeful results: to enable social justice advocates to gain access and voice in the decision making of relevant institutions; to change the power relationships between these institutions and the people affected by their decisions, thereby changing the institutions themselves; and to bring a clear improvement in people's lives.
One key to successful advocacy is on-going relationship building that is sustained between The Arc, our members, our legislators, service providers and the community.
Advocacy is most effective when it grows from the grassroots and when large numbers of individuals participate.
* Excerpted from Volume I: Reflections on Advocacy by David Cohen, Co-Director, Advocacy Institute from the forthcoming Advocacy Learning Initiative by Oxfam America and the Advocacy Institute.
The Arc engages in systems advocacy at the local, state and federal levels to ensure that people with cognitive, intellectual and developmental developmental disabilities have the supports they need to:
For information about advocacy, how your government works, who your legislators are, and how to get information about The Arc's current advocacy activities, click on the appropriate jurisdiction below:
