What do P&As Do?

What do P&As do?
Just like everyone else, people with disabilities
have families, jobs, partners, and hobbies. But sometimes they
still face barriers to living their lives the
way they want to. They face discrimination,
or their rights are violated. And sometimes they
need help fighting back. That’s why every
state and territory has a Protection
& Advocacy agency - or “P&A”
P&As are working to create a
world that everyone can be a part of, by defending the rights
of people with disabilities. P&As serve people of all ages, with all kinds of disabilities - including cognitive
disabilities, mental health disabilities, physical disabilities, and all other disabilities - both seen or unseen.
And even better: they’re able to provide services and
support at no charge to those they serve. P&As advocate for
a wide range of issues that impact people with disabilities including access to
medical care, employment, voting, housing, and more.
So, what does this
advocacy look like? A P&A might give advice
to a person with a disability by giving them information and directing them to
important supports and services. Through education and training, P&As also support
people with disabilities to know their rights and advocate for themselves P&As also work
on a larger scale to promote the rights and
dignity of people with disabilities.
P&As can go wherever
people with disabilities are to make sure their
rights are being respected. And they don’t have
to ask in advance - so they can figure out
what’s really going on in facilities like
psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.
If P&A staff find that people
with disabilities are neglected, abused, or their rights are not being respected, P&As can take action, and make sure it
doesn't happen again. P&As can also advocate
using the legal system.
They try to resolve
disagreements through negotiations, but sometimes have to file lawsuits. These lawsuits might be for
an individual with a disability, or a group of people
with disabilities. For example, maybe a building does not
have an accessible entrance and refuses to provide one, or an employer refuses
to provide Braille materials or an ASL interpreter
for employees.
P&As also talk
to policymakers - the people who write laws
and rules for the community. P&As educate them
about how their choices can improve the lives of the disabled community
members they serve.
Supporting self-advocates
with disabilities. Seeking justice through
the legal system. Educating policymakers. P&As do all this and more, so that people with disabilities can live the lives they want.
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