Interested in getting active in the local People First group? 

Call 422-3151 and ask for Will Dobrolenski

Self Advocacy

People First Self-Advocacy Group: Designed to empower people with disabilities to create change to improve their overall quality of life by providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to advocate for themselves. The focus of this group is to train people with intellectual, cognitive and related developmental disabilities in self-advocacy, self-determination and leadership.

The WV Healthy People 2010 report states that in spite of recent federal legislative initiatives and funded programs, there remains a discrepancy in the quality of life between persons with disabilities and their non-disabled peers in the areas of self-care, independent living, social skills, self-determination, education, health and safety, employment and leisure.

This is especially true in rural West Virginia. As a result of the state's geographic and demographic make-up, unemployment rate, and tax base, individuals are less likely to have an accessible system of transportation; persons with low incidence disabilities may be widely scattered, making it difficult to provide services; and persons with disabilities are less likely to secure employment when they must compete with non-disabled peers for a small pool of jobs. The elimination of such barriers is crucial to improving the quality of life for all individuals with disabilities - thus requiring first-hand involvement and self-advocacy from this population.

People First Language: The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley provides members, families, professionals, organizations, and the community at large with information on how to appropriately communicate about and with individuals with disabilities. This is accomplished by conducting trainings, distributing literature, and modeling the appropriate behaviors.

WV People First Conference: In addition to the local People First group, The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley leads the planning of an annual state-wide conference, which draws more than 180 each year. This conference is designed to train attendees and empower them to advocate for themselves when they return to their communities.

Download a registration form