Invest in Yourself: Build the Skills to Self-Advocate

“I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals. So much that I’ve lost count of how many procedures, needles, and tests I have had. I’ve even been used as a case study a few times by leading doctors studying spina bifida.

Hospitals became a second home to me, but they were never a place where I felt in control. For most of my life, the decisions about my health were made for me, not with me. Doctors and specialists, even the kind ones, would speak around me rather than to me.

When I was growing up, no one ever taught me about self-advocacy or my rights as a person with disability. I didn’t know that I was allowed to ask questions or participate in the decisions that affected me.

It wasn’t until much later in life that something shifted. I realised how much of myself I’d been giving away not just in appointments, but in everyday moments. I was taught early in life to give strangers an explanation about my body and my wheelchair. I’d share my whole medical story with people who had no right to it, simply because I didn’t know it was okay to say, “That’s private,” or “I don’t need to explain that to you.”

I wish I’d known sooner that it doesn’t have to be that way, that I had rights, and a voice that deserved to be heard.

That’s why learning to self-advocate is one of the most powerful investments you can make in yourself. It’s not just about health care; it’s about dignity, confidence, and knowing that you have every right to choose what your life looks like.”

This reflection comes from a member of our Co-Design Committee, who helped shape these workshops through lived experience.

About the Workshop Series

Our Online Self-Advocacy Workshop Series supports people with disability to build the knowledge and confidence to speak up in everyday life. These short, interactive sessions focus on practical tools that can be used straight away.

Each session runs for 30 minutes, with two time options available on the same day: 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

The series includes four focused topics:

• Everyday Rights – Understanding your rights and learning how to assert them respectfully.
  Register here
• Your Service, Your Choice – Exploring what quality, person-centred support looks like and how to make choices that fit you.
  Register here
• Getting and Keeping a Job – Building workplace confidence and self-advocacy skills to navigate employment settings.
  Register here
• Confidence and Resilience – Strengthening emotional awareness, communication, and practical strategies for maintaining confidence.
  Register here

Access and Group Sessions

All workshops are free and delivered online. You are welcome to attend one or all sessions.
You can register for individual sessions using the links above or explore all upcoming Advocacy WA events at advocacywa.humanitix.com.

We also deliver extended, in-person workshops for community groups, peer networks and organisations across the South West. To discuss a tailored session for your group, please contact community@advocacywa.org.au.

Why It Matters

Investing in yourself isn’t always about big goals or life changes; sometimes, it’s about learning the everyday skills that help you feel heard, respected, and in control.

When you understand your rights and how to use your voice, you not only change your own experience but also make it easier for others to do the same.

Because everyone deserves to be heard and to have the confidence to speak up for themselves.

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