The Citizen Advocacy Division initiates and supports freely given one-to-one advocacy relationships between members of the community - citizens who act as advocates - and people with developmental disabilities.

Through Citizen Advocacy relationships, people matched with advocates gain an ally whose role may encompass any or all of the following:

• Extend protection and advocacy

• Provide active representation of the interests of the person matched with the advocate

• Increase community participation and membership

• Develop a friendship

• Address the devalued status, prejudice and stigma often experienced by people with developmental disabilities

• Be a bridge to other people and groups in the community

What do advocates do?

• Get to know the person with whom he or she is matched, not as a client, but as a fellow citizen...

• Learn about his or her dreams and hopes...

• Work to bring those dreams and hopes into reality!

The work of Citizen Advocacy is to ask people to look out for one another on a personal, one-to-one basis. There is no limit to what a citizen might do on behalf of a fellow citizen, once he or she cares about that person. The goal of Citizen Advocacy is to help create a community in which all members of the community are valued and have a place, regardless of ability or disability.

For more information on the Citizen Advocacy Division, email Citizen Advocacy or call (608) 246-4730 ext. 223. For volunteer opportunities, click on this link: Volunteer Opportunities.