The Voice - Self Advocacy Federation

Join VAD as we talk with representatives from SAF as we learn about their organisation and how they help the community.

Transcript

Teresa

Welcome to the voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcast for January 2023 I'm Teresa Makarewich, your host and VAD’s program and services manager. Thanks for joining us today. In today's podcast, I'll be talking to individuals from the Self Advocacy Federation or SAF for short. VAD has been talking with our membership To learn about the resources that are available to iVAD ,our individual members and within the disability community. I wanted to get the Self Advocacy Federation on the podcast to discuss the advocacy this great organization participates in. Together, we hold the power. The Self Advocacy Federation is an organization comprised of people with disabilities and their allies who get together to discuss issues facing people with disabilities. Please welcome the representatives from the Self Advocacy Federation: Michael, Sarah and Daisy. Hello everyone, can you please take a moment and introduce yourselves? 

Mike (Michael) 

My name is Michael or Mike Wing. I've been part of the self advocacy federation and off and on and since 2015. And yeah, I'm actually doing my own podcast as well. Falling down the Rabbit Hole podcast if I'm allowed to plug that.   I'm just about to post the post first episode. Keep an eye out for that. Thank you. 

Teresa

Right on. And who's next? 

Daisy 

Hi, my name is Daisy Stacy. I've been part of the SAF since 2005, and I'm also on the steering committee. Thank you. 

Teresa

Thanks Daisy and yourself. 

Sarah 

My name is Sarah I. I've been part. I joined the SAF because when I was younger I was denied things like PDD, E and Joining the SAF was a way of me  Trying to get what I need back. I'm also on the steering committee. 

Teresa

Oh perfect, thank you Sarah. I have a few questions about the Self Advocacy Federation to gather some information for our listeners. So to start with what is self-advocacy? 

Sarah 

Self-advocacy is. Advocating for yourself like. Like asking for what you need. 

Teresa

ok 

Mike (Michael) 

Self advocacy and is advocating for the thing that you need, but I think another important piece, What the Self Advocacy Federation is advocating for those that can't advocate for themselves and being a voice for them. Being a voice for the voiceless basically. 

Teresa

Who is the Self Advocacy Federation? 

Sarah 

Well, it's a group of self advocates we-Every week we discuss things like, like transportation, food security. Our main Pillars are poverty, ableism and access. 

Mike (Michael) 

And I would also say that the self advocacy is run by folks with disabilities and also we are supported by our allies. This is a really important Piece to help us do what we do. 

Daisy 

I find I say the Self advocacy Federation is a bunch of adults with disabilities and we all get together once a week and we discuss things , the issues that are surrounding the disability Community and we we advocate for people that can’t do it  for themselves and can’t speak up for themselves. 

Teresa

Good to see you're all on the same page. Can you give some history about the Self advocacy federation like what you do and what you have done in the past? 

Daisy 

What we've done in the past is we - We've done a lot of presentations. We done some films on self advocacy and As said, we've done presentations we've done, We’ve done a lot of projects surrounding the community. We done a food project like  Planting food, having not enough foods have to make your own, grow it anything else am I leaving out 

Mike (Michael) 

I would just add that we've all done some rallies in the past at the legislature. We have all we've actually done our own podcast during the pandemic. And we also did another story project called this is self-advocacy. Where, we basically got testimonials from members about what self advocate is and why it’s important. 

Teresa

Is that available online for people to read? 

Sarah 

Yes, it is. It's all the videos include and including all the podcasts that we've done the past are available on our YouTube channel. 

Mike (Michael) 

They are on a website which is www.selfadvocacyfederation.ca. 

Teresa

Can you tell me three things The Self Advocacy Federation has done? 

Mike (Michael) 

I would say that three things that come to mind for me are we advocate for ourselves and those that can't advocate for themselves. We talk to government and try to get things done to help people with disabilities live better lives. And we do, educational workshops around how to be a good ally and how to be a good support staff and how to be a good employee. A good coworker. 

Daisy 

Hopefully I'm getting this right. We don't tolerate people coming in and and saying talking about people behind their backs and saying good things about them. 

Teresa

So what does the Self Advocacy Federation do to help people to be seen in the community? 

Sarah 

We support people and we like provide a voice for them if needed. 

Teresa

And how do you do that? 

Sarah 

Well, if something if something needs something, we might support them to write a letter or something like that. 

Teresa

OK. And what are the biggest barriers that you see are preventing people from being included in society? 

Sarah 

Well, the government thinks it's acceptable to put us into poverty. They there's a law of abelism, which means that people discriminate against  Us just because of our disabilities. And access there's certain things because of your disability that you can't access. 

Teresa

Anyone else? 

Mike (Michael) 

I think another big one is accessibility, and I know that  Sarah I kind of touched on that, but I think accessibility is really prevent people from doing the things they need to do or getting to places they need to go and  And being  Fully able to participate in their community and also poverty as we know right now, especially the inflation rate is rising, and a lot of people are struggling. And you know, if we're being totally honest in this podcast, there's a lot of people with disabilities that are choosing MAID, but would choose  Medical assistance in dying because they can't afford to live in poverty and that is absolutely not OK. And it's inhumane and. 

Teresa

I agree. What are some of the things that the Self Advocacy Federation is doing to make things better? 

Mike (Michael) 

I think that one of the best things about, I mean any self advocacy group But if specifically the self advocacy federation and if the fact that we give people a voice and we give people an outlet to advocate for themselves and to advocate for themselves to be able to have good lives and a good quality of life. 

Teresa

Sarah, did you want to say something to that? 

Sarah 

Well, basically I think Mike has covered it. 

Teresa

Right on OK, how does someone get involved with the Self Advocacy Federation, either as a volunteer or as a someone needing assistance with advocacy? 

Sarah 

Well, they can come. They can find out both about us on our website. They can also come to our meetings. Now there is a little bit of a process for that they have To be basically have a developmental disability or self identify as having one  Or and they have to be over 18. And then they have to sign the code of conduct that's to become a member to become an  Ally, there's a  Detailed process where the steering committee has to interview them. 

Teresa

You're all part of the steering committee. What does the steering committee do? 

Sarah 

The steering committee we’re like the Board of Directors, basically we say. What goes on what we're gonna Do and How we're going to do it 

Teresa

OK, what are some cool things or projects to self-Advocacy Federation has done in the communities? 

Mike (Michael) 

Before we've done story storytelling project  where we talked about what self advocacy is  - given. We've gone out into the community and given education talks on different topics and we have again  We've done rallies and those sorts of things. 

Sarah 

Last year we did the Community garden where we Grew our own Food and we  Also did a project on. Food security on like how  Practically, how on how it's practically impossible to afford  Food on AISH  After you've like paid all your bills. 

Teresa

Can you share your thoughts on how the Self Advocacy Federation contributes to the disability community to help make people's lives better? 

Mike (Michael) 

I would say that we  Not only do we go out and advocate on people's behalf, you know when we do things like rally and that But we also give people a safe space to ensure their voices are heard and, and ensure that they're able to stand up for themselves and I   Would also say that through the different projects that we've done, but with the podcast or the storytelling project or the community go in and we   We show people  That people with disabilities are capable of doing many different things.  

Teresa

Well said. Tell us how to get a hold of the Self Advocacy Federation again. Your website or contact information. 

Sarah 

Our contact information is on our website the easiest way. It is practically using the contact form on the website. 

Mike (Michael) 

So, there are actually a few differently as well. You can follow our page on Facebook, which is self-advocacy federally, and you can follow up on Twitter, which is SAF under score YEG, SAF_YEG. And you can follow it on Instagram and I believe the handle is  Self Advocacy Federation.  one other way is if - If you're not able to use the contact form, not only is there a phone number on the website, but there's also an e-mail address which is SAF@selfadvocacyfederation.com. 

Teresa

What is an interesting fact from each of you about the Self Advocacy federation that you think everyone should know? 

Sarah 

It helps the Self Advocacy Federation has helped me advocate for the things I need. 

Mike (Michael) 

One interesting thing I think that is true about the Self Advocacy Federation is that our office location is right downtown. So when we do meet in person  you know it's it's on a bus route. It's easy for DATS to get to, all that stuff and the address   Where we're located, we're not in the office right now, but that's also on our website and we'll be able to let folks know when we'll be back in the office. 

Teresa

And Daisy, do you have anything interesting you Want to tell us? 

Daisy 

About SAF? It's centralized and its easy access to get to and, and DATS can take you pick you up from your home and bring it straight to to the office and it's it's it's it's not far, it's it's it's it's on bus routes. So and   And that's It's a good place to be. 

Teresa

Thank you for your time and energy today everyone. Your support of the Community is a value to all. Self advocacy  Federation is an organizational member of VAD and a link to their website can be accessed on our membership list online. Individuals looking to access VAD members can do so at vadsociety.ca/social-action. So thank you again for joining VAD podcast. Anything final words you'd like to say? 

Mike (Michael) 

Uh, no, just that you know, we hope that  If anybody is interested that they'll consider joining the Self Advocacy federation And yeah, hope everybody has a wonderful rest of the day. 

Teresa

Awesome, so voice of Albertans with disabilities is a cross disability nonprofit organization of and for people with disabilities. we are guided by the principles of accessibility, equity, and inclusion. You can learn about VAD services on our website at vadsociety.ca or call 780-488-9088 For more information. If you have a topic you'd like to hear more about in a podcast, please e-mail Teresa at VAD@vadsociety.ca with topic ideas, speaker suggestions or your feedback, signing off for the day. Together we hold the power.