I Am Self-Advocacy Program

I Am Self-Advocacy
Written By Elaine Shaw
A young waitress with Down syndrome with her colleague at work.

ECNV offers this eight-week, virtual, peer mentoring program in self-advocacy for transition-aged youth with disabilities. This program will help participants build skills and understanding in the following areas: self-awareness, disability awareness and disclosure, self-determination, disability rights and responsibilities, assertiveness, allies, and advocacy. Weekly group sessions will be led by ECNV’s Program Facilitators. Participants will also meet with their peer mentors once a week for individual sessions. Our peer mentors all have lived experience with disability and can connect with participants on this shared perspective. 

ECNV is a Center for Independent Living led by people with disabilities who provide advocacy and services to people with disabilities in Northern Virginia. 

Schedule: 

Ideally, I would like all of the virtual programs for the year posted under this section – with each session its own ‘button’ that you can click on to look at the dates and referral deadlines. And by year, it should follow the school year [Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer]. Since we are at the end of this current year, I think it’s okay to just have a ‘button’ for the Spring and Summer session for now. Before the Summer ends, I’ll give you the important dates for Fall 2025 – Summer 2026. 

**Note: The Spring Session is starting next week, and referrals are not being accepted any longer. We are accepting referrals for the Summer Session, however. 

Spring Session 2025 

  • April 7 – June 6 

  • Referral Deadline: March 1, 2025 

  • Group Sessions | 4:30pm – 6:00pm 

  • Group Session 1: April 8th or 9th  

  • Group Session 2: April 22nd or 23rd  

  • Group Session 3: April 29th or 30th  

  • Group Session 4: May 6th or 7th  

  • Group Session 5: May 13th or 14th  

  • Group Session 6: May 20th or 21st  

  • Group Session 7: May 27th or 28th  

  • Group Session 8: June 3rd or 4th  

  • Individual Sessions 

  • Participants meet once weekly for individual sessions with their peer mentor. These are scheduled based on the participant’s availability. 

Summer Session 2025 

  • July 7 – August 1 

  • Referral Deadline: June 15, 2025 

  • Group Sessions | 10:30am – 12:00pm or 3:00pm – 4:30pm 

  • Group Session 1: July 8th  

  • Group Session 2: July 10th  

  • Group Session 3: July 15th  

  • Group Session 4:  July 17th  

  • Group Session 5: July 22nd  

  • Group Session 6: July 24th 

  • Group Session 7: July 29th 

  • Group Session 8: July 31st 

  • Individual Sessions 

  • Participants meet twice weekly for individual sessions with their peer mentor. These are scheduled based on the participant’s availability. 

  • Leadership Fridays: 12:00pm – 5:00pm 

This in-person opportunity is unique to our Summer program, allowing students to expand on their learning throughout the week, explore additional topics in self-advocacy from guest speakers, and engage in community activities. 

  • July 11th 

  • July 18th 

  • July 25th 

  • August 1st 

Program Curriculum: 

  • Self-Awareness: strengths, abilities, interests, and ambitions 

  • Disability Awareness: needs and concerns, disability perspectives, accommodations, and disability disclosure 

  • Self-Determination: requesting accommodations, decision-making, and discovering options 

  • Rights and Responsibilities: disability history, laws, IEPs, and workplace accommodations 

  • Assertiveness: problem-solving, communication, how to accept feedback, and identifying different communication styles 

  • Allies: circle of support, how to listen to and work with others, and using empathy to connect with others 

  • Advocacy: goal-setting, making plans, and communication information 

Participants will learn to: 

  • Make decisions that correlate to their strengths, interests, and future goals. 

  • Identify the accommodations they need to be successful today and explore accommodations they may need in the future. 

  • Be more active in their educational and career journeys. 

  • Involve people in their lives who can help them achieve their goals and advocate for their needs. 

  • Communicate their goals and needs to others in effective ways. 

Target Audience:  

I Am Self-Advocacy is perfect for transition-aged students with disabilities who want to build a stronger foundation is self-advocacy skills as they transition to adulthood.  

Accessibility & Accommodations:  

I Am Self-Advocacy will be held virtually. Participants will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone (or other electronic device with audio / visuals) to participate. Reasonable accommodations and computer access may be requested in the Pre-Program Survey. Any questions about the program or accessibility are welcome at info@ecnv.org. 

How to Participate in the Program: 

At this time, this program is only available to DARS clients receiving Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). 

If you are interested in participating, please reach out to your DARS counselor, special education teacher, or Employment and Transition Representative (ETR) at their school for assistance. 

If you are a DARS counselor interested in scheduling a program session with a group of your clients, please reach out to Paul Whitney at paulw@ecnv.org. 

Elaine Shaw
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