Advocating - Rules and policies vs preferences and expectations

To be able to effectively advocate, you must have a clear understanding of the facts that you know, and a firm grasp of what information you might need to gather. Educate yourself about the laws, rules, and, policies that apply to your situation.

Resources for you:

Know your rights disability discrimination

Go to resources in EnableMe and click on 'My Life after Stroke'and then 'Legal and Finance'.

Rules and Policies:

Sometimes there are rules or policies that outline your rights. The rules or policies may not be law but may be governed by law or may simply be a set of guidelines that an agency or an individual claim to follow.

In either case, if a rule or policy has been broken, there is usually a way to file a complaint or formal grievance to address your concern.

Preferences and Social Expectations:

It is very important to understand the differences between enforceable rights – rights that are governed by a policy or law – and things that we may refer to as being a “right”, but that are not covered under any law or policy. For example, how often have you said or heard people say, “I have the right to be listened to” or “I have the right to make a mistake.” Although expressed as rights, the right to be listened to or the right to make a mistake are really preferences of how we would like to be treated, and they are not likely to be a right we have under a policy or law.

It is important to remember that not all behaviour we don’t like is against the law or a formal policy that can be enforced. This does not mean that you cannot address a concern you have about being treated rudely. For example, let’s say you were stood up two times by someone who is coming to give you an estimate on painting your bedroom. Although they did not break any law by making you wait for them, you could call or write a letter to the owner of the business letting them know that you were not satisfied with how you were treated. Writing a letter or placing a phone call may or may not change the painter’s behaviour, but you will have gotten your point across.

When you still have questions or need more information, how can you go gather additional facts?

Finding an answer to your question may be as simple as contacting the right person. You’ll be surprised with the amount of progress you can make by placing a few phone calls. Even if the first person you call cannot answer your question, they are likely to point you in the right direction. Some useful places to start including: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/know-your-rights-disability-discrimination

The next question is who are the key decision-makers in your situation? Often, going straight to a decision-maker can result in a decision without hassle. If you are not sure who has the authority to make the decision, ask!

Advocating for yourself takes effort. Surrounding yourself with people who can help you can make all the difference. Ask from friends, family, other advocates, professionals and others to support your efforts to navigate the system and can listen and give advice when you are frustrated.

If you require assistance, please call StrokeLine 1800 787 653