Independent Person

Person with disability

I am concerned about the lack of availability of advocacy services for people with mental health disability subject to unfair treatment in the community. Primarily where stigma is acting on their circumstances and situation.
I would like to raise the question of the need for advocacy for people who are marginalised and socially isolated in the community who are subject to discrimination due to their disability etc.
To gain advocacy from mental health service providers I need to be having various significant impacts from my disability but there is no consideration for eligibility for people being treated unfairly in various situations in the community.
This is really disadvantaging me in gaining advocacy, there are next to no services easily accessible on this basis.
I have been expanding my current search to social work service providers from religious community support organisations but these may not necessarily provide me advocacy either.
I think these kind of services should be adaptive to the needs of the people who require them. And assessed on a case by case basis.
I feel I am a person with a disability who is socially isolated due to the stigma of my disability ; I have no family members now assisting me in an advocacy or support type role and no friends doing this role either. I feel very disadvantaged approaching certain agencies , who , wont even take any notice of me unless there is someone else attending with me.
I feel I would like an advocate to attend some things with me but cannot find one.
There should be advocacy services for women with disabilities who are being subject to domestic violence for example and advocates to assist them making inquiries with the police and legal services etc. Without a person to go with you and talk to the police, which can be a scary intimidating process anyway, often they dont want to listen, which is very unfair.
The effect of stigma needs to be factored in when designing eligibility for advocacy and support services, essentially case by case would be ideal, it would make those services really work and would not leave anybody out from access.
I would like to provide more of my ideas about this, I believe to provide the best services, we need to keep consulting with the people trying to access them and make changes as we go.