ATEAMM Overview

Advocacy Training Education Advocacy Movement Mississippi

The goal of Advocacy TEAM (Training, Education and Advocacy Movement) Mississippi is to increase the number of youth and young adult self-advocates with disabilities.

To accomplish this goal, Advocacy TEAM Mississippi will reestablish the Mississippi Self-Advocacy Team as an advisory council and provide self-advocacy training.

Mississippi self-advocates will provide self-advocacy training in the south, central and north Mississippi areas. Twenty-seven secondary schools and three colleges/universities will be the targeted locations for all self-advocacy training. In addition, a statewide youth and young adult summit will be held in spring 2013 to celebrate advocacy services in Mississippi. 

 

 

According to the Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) national self-advocacy organization . . . 

Self-advocacy is about independent groups of people with disabilities working together for justice by helping each other take charge of our lives and fight discrimination. It teaches us how to make decisions and choices that affect our lives so we can be more independent. It also teaches us about our rights, but along with learning about our rights we learn responsibilities. The way we learn about advocating for ourselves is by supporting each other and helping each other gain confidence in ourselves so we can speak out for what we believe in.