Self-Advocacy

For Parents and Patients

Kids as Self Advocates
KASA is a national, grassroots network of youth with special needs and our friends, speaking on behalf of ourselves. We are leaders in our communities, and we help spread helpful, positive information among our peers to increase knowledge around various issues. Those issues include: living with special health care needs, health care transition issues, education, employment, and many more. We also help health care professionals, policymakers and other adults in our communities understand what it's like to live with special health care needs and we participate in discussions about how to help each other succeed.

KidsHealth.org
KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. This site offers numerous easy-to-read articles on kids' health, written for parents, teens and kids.

Advocating Change Together (ACT)
A grassroots disability rights organization run by and for people with developmental and other disabilities. ACT's mission is to help people across disabilities to see themselves as part of a larger disability rights movement and make connections to other civil and human rights struggles.

Center for Self Determination
Highly interactive working collaborative of individuals and organizations committed to the principles of self-determination. The purpose of the collaborative is to change the nature of the support and service system for individuals with disabilities, using the principles of self-determination to help all persons create the lives they want, connected to and with their communities.

Self Advocates Becoming Empowered
Goals: Make self-advocacy available in every state including institutions, high schools, rural areas and people living with families with local support and advisors to help. Work with the criminal justice system and people with disabilities about their rights within the criminal justice system. Close institutions for people with developmental disabilities labels nationwide, and build community supports.

Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Alliance provides technical assistance for state Parent Centers - Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs). Provides links to local Parent Centers.

Utah Parent Center
A statewide non-profit organization, founded in 1984, to provide training, information, referral and assistance to parents of children and youth with ALL disabilities, including physical, mental, hearing, vision, learning, behavioral and emotional. Staff consists primarily of parents of children and youth with disabilities. The Center provides information on support and advocacy for families of children with special health care needs.

National Council on Independent Living
Provides information and advocacy for independent living; links to state councils and centers.

Utah Statewide Independent Living Council (USILC)
Non-profit organization that promotes full inclusion, independence, and empowerment of people with disabilities through advocacy/systems change, planning/organization, education, networking, resource development and independent living service enhancement.

State Government Links
Hosted by the federal government, this web site provides links to official web sites of states and territories of the United States.

Utah State Legislature
Official State of Utah web site with links to the Senate, House of Representatives, and other legislative information.

Arc of the United States
Works to include all children and adults with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities in every community.

Arc of Utah
An organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. It is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for people with mental retardation and their families. The association also fosters research and education regarding the prevention of mental retardation in infants and young children.

TASH
An international association of people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates, and professionals fighting for a society in which inclusion of all people in all aspects of society is the norm.

Disability Law Center
A private non-profit organization designated by the Governor to protect the rights of people with disabilities in Utah. Mission: To enforce and strengthen laws that protect the opportunities, choices and legal rights of people with disabilities in Utah.

Utah Legal Services
A nonprofit law office which provides legal help in non-criminal cases, free of charge, to those who qualify.

Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities (LCPD)
Advocates for public policy affecting all people in the State of Utah who have disabilities.