Don’t Underestimate the Power of Grassroots Advocacy

When people hear the word advocacy, too often they think of lobbyists or formal advocacy at a national level. While there’s a place for this type of work, often the most successful and impactful advocacy starts at the grassroot level. Don’t underestimate the power of grassroots advocacy.

In my own advocacy work, my greatest successes have been the result of speaking my truth and sharing my story. It’s started with me being honest and real about my challenges and struggles, and this resonates with others.

One example is a tweet I wrote about offensive language used in an autism assessment intake form. In 2021, I received a form that was dated 2001 – and still being used despite including the R word in the list of family history medical conditions.

After getting no responses to direct emails or phone calls, I tweeted a screenshot of the offensive language used on the form. Thankfully some influencers took notice, and shared my tweet.

Fast forward through a gaslighting conversation saying it was a clerical error, influencers pointing out other uses of the word by the organization, and transformative change happened. In this case, all autism assessments intake forms were pulled across the province so the language could be reviewed. A provincial website was also audited to remove any offensive language.

While the change was provincial, the spark that ignited it started with one mom. One mom who stood up against the use of an offensive word, other moms who took notice, and a system that was forced to deal with its widespread use of offensive language.

This is the power of grassroots advocacy.

It’s real people, sharing real stories and shining the light on injustices.

Does it always result in change? No, not always. Sometimes you speak your truth and share your story but no one’s listening.

And that’s okay.

When I give my workshops on How to Share Your Story and Advocate for Change, I talk about the ripple effect of advocacy. Each time you speak up, you’re throwing a pebble into a pond. Some days it makes a light ripple. Other days it’s a wave. And some days, it creates a tsunami.

The difference - you never know who’s listening and the impact your words can have.

This is why I encourage people to embrace the power of grassroots advocacy. It can be a simple conversation with a friend, a post on social media or a lunch and learn presentation at work.

Your advocacy can be the spark that ignites change.

So how do you start? Focus on your strengths and figure out what works best for you.

Are you passionate about music? How can you use your musical talents to advocate? I know one dad who made a video of him singing at the piano and used subtitles to highlight key facts about individuals with Down Syndrome.

Are you an artist? Look for ways you can use your talents to advocate. Check out Your Brain on Migraine on Instagram to see how on woman uses her gift to highlight struggles facing individuals who live with migraine.

Or check out my monthly blogs at www.learnpatientadvocacy.com where I write about advocacy successes and challenges related to my personal journey as well as the work I do helping others fine tune their advocacy skills.

This list goes on.

What all of these examples have in common is combining a passion for advocacy with their individual gifts. And most importantly – not being afraid to speak their truth and share their story.

The world needs to hear your story. Not just once, but many times. So, get out there and find ways to speak your truth and share your story.

Don’t underestimate the power of grassroot advocacy. You could be the spark that ignites a change.