Assistive Tech. and Advocacy

There are laws and rules that public agencies must follow. If you believe you are entitled to assistive technology benefits, but the agency refuses to provide them for you, you can speak up and fight for your rights. This is called advocacy.


􀂃 Common sense is a good guide to being an advocate. Here are some tips.

􀂃 Gather all the facts. You can get facts by looking at all the documents about the dispute that are in your file at the agency.

􀂃 Learn the rules. Educate yourself about the standard the agency used to deny your request. Use that standard to develop your argument for why the agency should change its decision.

􀂃 Keep a diary or log. List everything that you and other people say in a telephone conversation or a meeting. Include a list of who you spoke with, who was at the meeting and who said what. Make sure to write down the dates, as well. Keeping a log will help to remind you later of what happened.

􀂃 Keep records. Keep all the papers concerning your case together in one file.