AdvocacyDenver

Health Care Advocacy and Education | Providing active voice and supporting civil rights for people with disabilities

2011: A Snapshot of Advocacy

Two-thousand eleven was quite a busy year here at AdvocacyDenver.  Individual advocacy was in great demand and each advocate pulled through (and continues to do so!) to provide quality advocacy support to individuals with disabilities and their families.  To analyze the amount and types of support provided, AdvocacyDenver tracks its core programming through the use of a Clients Database.  This gives us insight to the trends and barriers confronting individuals with disabilities residing in Denver and enables us to plan strategically.  Here’s a snapshot of what 2011 looked like:

How many clients did we support in 2011 and what type of support was that?

 

 

 

The graph summarizes the overall advocacy support provided by AdvocacyDenver in 2011.  The combined bars in the graph identify 269 clients (new and on-going) that received different forms of advocacy support in 2011.

 

 

 

 

How many individual advocacy issues did AdvocacyDenver support in 2011?

 

 

The graph summarizes the advocacy issues addressed by AdvocacyDenver as a whole in 2011.  The total number of issues addressed in 2011 is 289.

For more information about the types of individual advocacy trends in 2011 please contact Catherine Strode at cstrode@advocacydenver.org.

New Website Launches

We have done some serious website re-modeling here at AdvocacyDenver.  We’re pleased to share the new design with you and we hope you find it useful.  Our intentions behind the re-design were to improve the functionality of the website and increase the quality of the information and tools it offers to both prospective and existing clients and folks interested in getting involved with us

Individuals and their families now have easy access to information that is important and relevant to you!  This includes:

  1. Information on individual advocacy programs for children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.  These pages also include up to date agency and resource listings across various areas of advocacy;
  2. current calendar of local events and meetings in the Denver Metro Area;
  3. an overview of our online, interactive webinar offerings;
  4. important potential Colorado bills, including those in health care, that directly impact individuals with I/DD;
  5. information on our unique Center for Special Education Law;
  6. …and much more!

Also, there is plenty of information for people, foundations, or corporations interested in getting involved with AdvocacyDenver and staying in the loop about what it is doing in the community.  This includes:

  1. Becoming an AdvocacyDenver member;
  2. learning about current volunteer/intern opportunities;
  3. getting updates on important news and policy headlines, upcoming events and educational opportunities, and organizational news;
  4. seeing how your donations make a differenceto AdvocacyDenver and the community it serves;
  5. …and much more!

So please take a look around and enjoy!

Daniels Fund Awards AdvocacyDenver Grant for Individual Advocacy

Denver, Colorado—Recently, AdvocacyDenver was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Daniels Fund to support its core program, individual advocacy.  AdvocacyDenver features seven advocates who provide individual, technical, and referral-based advocacy assistance to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families in Denver County.  

Advocates work alongside clients to gain access to quality supports and resources while navigating complex systems, such as health care, education, employment, and housing.  With the support from advocates, individuals with I/DD and their families develop strong self-advocacy skills, empowering them to improve the quality of their own lives.

For 2011, AdvocacyDenver estimates it will have taken on 200 new clients through its referral and intake process for advocacy requests providing them with a wide range of assistance and resources for various advocacy issues.  Among all of these clients, AdvocacyDenver anticipates addressing an estimated 275 unique advocacy issues through the end of 2011.

Advocate Alexandra Andrews says, “AdvocacyDenver receives requests from a very high number of individuals that need assistance and guidance in varying fields.  This grant will bring us closer to meeting their needs.”

Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television known for his kindness and generosity to those in need, established the Daniels Fund to provide grants and scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. For more information, please visit www.danielsfund.org