What is Citizen Advocacy?
Citizen Advocacy Programmes build long-lasting, one-to-one relationships between ordinary citizens (citizen advocates), who are unpaid and independent, and people with intellectual disability (proteges). Citizen advocates are asked to make a commitment to represent their protege s rights and interests as if they were their own; their loyalty is to their protege. A citizen advocate may assume one or more advocacy roles, some of which may last for life. Having people who know and care about us, and speak out on our behalf when necessary, enhances and provides security to our lives. Citizen Advocacy protects people with disability by connecting them in one-to-one, freely given relationships with competent, concerned citizens. Although contemporary society continues to look to professionals for answers, Citizen Advocacy asks ordinary citizens to become involved in the lives of people with intellectual disability. Many people possess a variety of talents through their experience in family,
