“It’s about equality!” Disability advocacy in the UK

Advocacy means taking action to support people to secure their rights, pursue their interests, and obtain services they need. This study aimed to find out people’s knowledge and experiences of advocacy, as well as their recommendations for the improvement of advocacy services. Forty-six people from various regions of the UK were interviewed online, and 193 people completed a survey. Participants had different impairments, and some were family members of disabled people, most of whom experienced impairment and disability themselves. People said that they would like more access to advocacy services to support them with many areas of their lives, such as to reduce isolation, accessing employment and healthcare, support with benefits and help with documentation, financial support and advice, and to challenge inaccessibility and discrimination. There is a need for improved general statutory advocacy that involves disabled people as advocates, along with greater awareness of what is offered.