Do you need an individual advocate?
If you or a family member in Aurora, CO has an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) and are struggling to handle a challenge on your own, we may be able to offer you advocacy support. Please take a moment to complete the Advocacy Interest Form and we’ll start exploring how we may be able to assist you. It’s important to note that our funding is specifically for advocating for those with IDD, and we may not be able to provide assistance to everyone who completes the Advocacy Interest Form. However, we’re committed to doing our best to help individuals and families in the Aurora community get connected to organizations that can offer support if we’re not able to.
What is individual advocacy?
The Arc of Aurora has individual advocates who provide one-on-one support to individuals with IDD of all ages and their families. Advocates act with and/or on behalf of an individual with IDD in the least intrusive, non-attorney manner to resolve an issue and/or to obtain needed support and/or service.
What is the role of The Arc of Aurora’s individual advocates?
- To work with and/or on behalf of the individual and/or family to meet identified advocacy needs without a guarantee of the outcome.
- To provide information and resources to support the individual and/or family in making an informed decision(s).
- To refer individuals and/or families, as needed, to legal, medical, and other professional supports
What you can expect from your Arc of Aurora individual advocate:
- Honesty and respect regarding your situation, rights, options, and possible solutions.
- Collaboration to identify your specific advocacy needs.
- Collaboration with you and/or others to define possible solutions that will help meet your advocacy needs.
- Not allowing his/her own personal views and opinions to influence your advocacy support.
What geographic areas does The Arc of Aurora serve for Individual advocacy?
The Arc of Aurora serves people who live in the City of Aurora (Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas Counties) including in Colorado Judicial Districts 17 and 18, and Aurora Public and Cherry Creek School Districts.
What if I don’t live in the geographic area that The Arc of Aurora serves?
Don’t worry! There are 15 chapters of The Arc in Colorado including the state chapter and 14 local chapters serving designated geographic areas. Local chapters provide individual advocacy services for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities who live in their service areas. Find your local chapter here.
Who can receive individual advocacy from The Arc of Aurora?
The Arc of Aurora only provides individual advocacy to those individuals who meet Colorado’s definition of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) {C.R.S. 25.5-10-202(26)(a)} and who live in Aurora, CO. Colorado defines a developmental disability as a “disability that is manifested before the person reaches twenty-two years of age, which constitutes a substantial disability to the affected individual, and is attributable to mental retardation or related conditions which include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or other neurological conditions when such conditions result in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of a person with mental retardation.”
How long does an individual advocacy relationship last?
For The Arc of Aurora, individual advocacy is a term-limited relationship formalized through an advocacy agreement to act with and/or on behalf of a person in the least intrusive manner to resolve an issue or to find needed support and/or service.