Self-Advocacy & Self-Determination

Self-Advocacy means speaking up for yourself, making decisions about your life, finding supports, and understanding your rights and responsibilities. As a self-advocate, it's important to understand the need for self-determination as you problem solve, listen and learn, and reach out when you need help.

Programs & Services

Currently showing 126 local programs & services.
Enter a City, County or Zip code and filter the results by location.

LOCAL

Disability Rights & Advocacy

Groups and organizations that protect the rights of people who have physical, mental, developmental or learning disabilities.

Disability Community Education, Wytheville

Appalachian Independence Center, Inc.

680 West Main Street, Wytheville, VA 24382

See map: Google Maps

Main: (276) 228-8765
Fax: (276) 228-0508
Advocacy

Disability Rights and Resource Center

300 Pell Avenue, Suite A, Rocky Mount, VA 24151

See map: Google Maps

Main: (540) 482-0752
Fax: (549) 482-0640
Advocacy

Arc South of the James

P.O. Box 272, Colonial Heights, VA 23834

See map: Google Maps

Main: (804) 446-1705
Advocacy

VersAbility Resources, Inc.

2520 58th Street, Hampton, VA 23661

See map: Google Maps

Main: (757) 896-6461
Fax: (757) 896-8470
Advocacy

Arc of Hanover

417 England Street, Ashland, VA 23005

See map: Google Maps

Main: (804) 798-2400
Fax: (804) 798-0310
view all (101)

Centers for Independent Living

Organizations providing services and advocacy by and for persons with disabilities.

Administration, Center for Independent Living

New River Valley Disability Resource Center

53 West Main Street, Suite A, Christiansburg, VA 24073

See map: Google Maps

Main: (540) 266-1435
Fax: (540) 251-3451
Center for Independent Living

Valley Associates for Independent Living, Inc. (VAIL)

3210 Peoples Drive, Suite 220, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

See map: Google Maps

Main: (540) 433-6513
Fax: (540) 433-6313
Toll-Free: (888) 242-8245
Center for Independent Living

Disability Rights and Resource Center

300 Pell Avenue, Suite A, Rocky Mount, VA 24151

See map: Google Maps

Main: (540) 482-0752
Fax: (540) 482-0640
Center for Independent Living

Lynchburg Area Center for Independent Living (LACIL)

500 Alleghany Avenue, Suite 520, Lynchburg, VA 24501

See map: Google Maps

Main: (434) 528-4971
Fax: (434) 528-4976
Center for Independent Living

Insight Enterprises, Peninsula Center for Independent Living

2021 A Cunningham Drive Suite 2, Hampton, VA 23666

See map: Google Maps

Main: (757) 827-0275
Fax: (757) 827-0655
Toll-Free: (800) 339-3269
view all (25)

Statewide and Nationwide

Disability Rights & Advocacy

Groups and organizations that protect the rights of people who have physical, mental, developmental or learning disabilities.

Advocacy and Information, Down Syndrome

National Down Syndrome Society

666 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

See map: Google Maps

Fax: (212) 979-2873
Toll-Free: (800) 221-4602
Advocacy and Information, Down Syndrome

National Down Syndrome Congress

30 Mansell Court, Suite 108, Atlanta, GA 30076

See map: Google Maps

Main: (770) 604-9500
Fax: (770) 604-9898
Toll-Free: (800) 232-6372
Advocacy and Support | Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome Association of Greater Washington

5851 Deale Churchton Road, Suite 4, Deale, MD 20751

See map: Google Maps

Main: (410) 867-1151
Fax: (301) 681-4183
Advocacy Braille

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

200 East Wells Street, Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230

See map: Google Maps

Main: (410) 659-9314
Fax: (410) 685-5653
Advocacy for People with Disabilities

National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

2013 H St. NW, 6th Floor, Washington , DC 20006

See map: Google Maps

Main: (202) 207-0334
Toll-Free: (877) 525-3400
view all (32)

Centers for Independent Living

Organizations providing services and advocacy by and for persons with disabilities.

Advocacy for People with Disabilities

National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

2013 H St. NW, 6th Floor, Washington , DC 20006

See map: Google Maps

Main: (202) 207-0334
Toll-Free: (877) 525-3400
Centers for Independent Living

Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services: Centers for Independent Living

8004 Franklin Farms Drive, Richmond, VA 23229

See map: Google Maps

Main: (800) 552-5019

Articles

Centers for Independent Living

An overview of the vital role of Centers for Independent Living (CIL's) in the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Although CIL's vary, most provide advocacy, information and referral, independent living skills training and peer support.
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Communicating With and About People with Disabilities

This brief article is a good primer on how to relate to people with disabilities and communicate with them in a way that allows everyone to feel comfortable.
Read More
Disability and Health Data System (DHDS)

Learn more about the Disability and Health Data System: an online interactive system from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Read More
Self-Advocacy

Self-Advocacy is involvement in your own life. It is standing up for what matters to you. On behalf of yourself, you identify an unmet need, promote change, or remove a barrier. Read this fact sheet to learn more.
Read More

Books & Guides

A Comprehensive Approach to Transition

Members of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) have produced A Comprehensive Approach to Transition to help people work together to support the self-determined transition of youth to adulthood and community life. Self-determination means that people have a say in the important decisions of their own lives. Transition means moving from one place or stage of life to another. As youth leave school, they face several transitions.

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Self-Advocacy & Self-Determination

Disability Rights & Advocacy

Centers for Independent Living

Disability Rights & Advocacy

Centers for Independent Living

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