Advocating Change Together Inc

ADVOCATING CHANGE TOGETHER'S (ACT) MISSION IS TO ADVANCE "SELF ADVOCACY" WHICH, AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, ENGAGES PEOPLE WITH DEVLOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO BE IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN DECISIONS AND TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. ACT DESCRIBES SELF-ADVOCACY AS A THREE-LEGGED STOOL. THE FIRST LEG IS THE PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT THAT SOMEONE GROWS INTO, WHERE THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND GO FOR WHAT THEY WANT. THE SECOND LEG IS UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY NOT AS A PHYSICAL PROBLEM WITHIN THE PERSON, BUT AS A DISCRIMINATION PROBLEM WITHIN SOCIETY. THE THIRD LEG IS THE SOCIAL CHANGE MOVEMENT, WHERE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES JOIN TOGETHER (ORGANIZE) TO GET THE POWER TO CHANGE SOCIETY.

ADVOCATING CHANGE TOGETHER (ACT) THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY LEADERSHIP, IS A GRASSROOTS DISABILITY RIGHTS ORGANIZATION RUN BY AND FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. SINCE 1979, ACT HAS BEEN CREATING LEADERS IN THE SELF- ADVOCACY MOVEMENT, SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. ACT PROGRAMS ARE BUILT ON THREE ASPECTS OF DISABILITY LIFE: O EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS BY BUILDING PERSONAL POWER O CONNECTING THEM TO THE DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENT O WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD STRONGER AND MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES ACT SELF-ADVOCACY ACADEMY: THE ACADEMY IS A SET OF COURSES DESIGNED TO ENGAGE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN GAINING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS AND ESTABLISH THEIR PLACE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. USING IN-PERSON AND ON-LINE FORMATS, THE ACADEMY OFFERS 12-SESSION COURSES IN THREE TRIMESTERS DURING THE YEAR. WEEKLY TWO-HOUR SESSIONS OFFER A KINESTHETIC LEARNING CULTURE FEATURING STORIES, MUSIC, ART, LAUGHTER, ROLE-PLAY, HUGS AND LOTS OF BIG VISUALS. ACT SELF-ADVOCACY CONFERENCE: SELF-ADVOCATES PLAN, LEAD, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE LARGEST GATHERING OF SELF-ADVOCATES IN THE REGION. HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES ENJOY LIFE-ALTERING WORKSHOPS, RECOGNIZE LEADERS, MAKE FRIENDS, AND BUILD SUPPORT THAT EMPOWERS THEIR LIVES. ACT OLMSTEAD COMMUNITY: THE OLMSTEAD ACADEMY IS A 12-MONTH COMMITMENT FROM PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTEND AS A TEAM OF THREE FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES. PARTICIPANTS SHOW BY EXAMPLE HOW TO MAKE MORE AND BETTER DISABILITY INCLUSION IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS MINNESOTA AND THE REGION. TEAMS GAIN NEW SKILLS AND ELICIT NEW SUPPORT THAT CHANGES THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. THEY ENGAGE IN A KINESTHETIC LEARNING CULTURE OF STORIES, MUSIC, ART, LAUGHTER, ROLE-PLAY, HUGS AND LOTS OF VISUALS. LIVES ARE CHANGED; COMMUNITIES ARE CHANGED. ACT SELF ADVOCATES MN NETWORK: ACT FOUNDED AND CONTINUES TO ADMINISTER A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF GROUPS WORKING ON 1) BUILDING PERSONAL POWER 2) CONNECTING TO DISABILITY RIGHTS AND 3) BUILDING MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES, SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH EVERYONE ELSE. TODAY SAM IS THE STATE NETWORK THAT BRINGS TOGETHER HUNDREDS OF SELF-ADVOCATES TO STRENGTHEN THE SELF-ADVOCACY MOVEMENT FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. TOMORROW, THOUSANDS DISABILITY POWER DAY: DISABILITY POWER DAY IS A WEEKLY GATHERING OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO SHARE INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES ON SELF-ADVOCACY, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIFIC ISSUES THEY FACE. POWER DAY IS OFFERED VIRTUALLY EVERY THURSDAY, EXCEPT THE THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH WHEN EVERYONE GATHERS IN-PERSON AT ST GEORGE'S GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ST PAUL. ACT FACILITATES A VARIETY OF CLUBS TO HELP OUR SELF-ADVOCATES STAY CONNECTED AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS.