Agencies in New York State are numerous. They may be national with state or regional offices, state with offices in the capitol and branches in large cities, county, city, town, village, public, governmental, private, for-profit or non-profit, or paid or volunteer. Clearly there are so many agencies within New York State that much of the educational advocacy is inconsistent, sparse or even non-existent. Many members would advocate if they only knew how to go about the process. The purpose of this education and outreach tool is to provide members with a systematic approach to successful advocacy.

General Reminders of the Advocacy Process:

• Be Nice
• Be Persistent
• Be Prepared
• Become their Social Conscience

Plan By 1/06:

To identify resources:

1. Listing of agencies in NYS
2. Listing of available printed articles, brochures, programs, published
   books, audio/visual tapes, and other materials such as on-line computer
   courses available through Hearing Loss at national, state and chapter levels
3. Key Personnel

By 4/06:

To Prioritize Resources

1. Identify top 10 agencies based on problem/complaint, history of known
   inaccessibility, services offered, and/or size/number of people served.
2. Identify National SHHH bookstore products and chapter publications
   such as One Voice Program and brochure for inclusion.
3. Train the Trainers Program.
4. Develop Guidelines for Successful Agency Contacts based on purpose
   of the contact.

By 10/06:

1. At least 5 agencies have been contacted as a Pilot.
2. Written report for NYSA members to share successes and obstacles.

Advocacy: Guidelines for Successful Agency Contacts

Determine:

• Who is the best person to contact at a specific agency?
• Which day of the week is the best time to contact?
• When is the best time of day to contact?
• Preliminary preparation could include researching the services provided, volume of persons served on an annual basis, monies dedicated to services, grants awarded etc.
• Become familiar with the specific agency by checking their publications, such as brochures and their Annual Report which may be available on-line.
• Which format is best in this specific situation?
  • 1:1 meeting,
  • 2:1 meeting,
  • small group.
• Prepare an agenda for the meeting to clarify the meeting purpose and identify your concerns to others attending.
• Request a specific amount of time. 30-60 minutes.
• Provide printed materials that can be given to the contact person upon leaving.
• Be on time. Stay on time. End on time.
• Send a hand written Thank You Note via US Mail within 5-7 business days.
• Telephone or E-mail a follow-up to the meeting within 10-13 business days..
• Advocacy itself may take on many forms based on the purpose of the contact and the agency itself.

***Determine the audience.
Who will there be trained by Hearing Loss Key Resource Personnel?
Agency staff members, agency clients or both?

***Determine which materials are the most appropriate for this audience? Make sure
there is an ample supply plus extras for those unable to attend and for agency
resource records.

***Will the agency contact person conduct a program for Hearing Loss members?
Prepare as one would for accessible programs for Hearing Loss members.

*** Is inaccessibility in regard to ALD’s at the agency the concern? For a meeting. a program, or conducting business? CART is the most universally accessible.

*** If the plan is to become a member of the consumer advisory board of the agency, preparation needs to be done in researching past board members, reviewing meeting minutes, strategic plans, funding sources,major goals reached in the past as well as meeting dates, times and location. Many consumer advisory board schedules are available on-line and are usually open to the public.Consumer advocates at agencies can have pivotal roles in the agency providing information, advocacy in action, and assist in the decision making process of resource allocation.