Advocacy
You deserve to be heard, understood and supported.
Living with FND can sometimes mean having to explain your condition repeatedly, advocate for your needs, or speak up when you feel your concerns aren’t being heard.
You shouldn’t have to navigate that alone.
At Together We Rise, we believe everyone living with FND deserves to have their voice heard and their experiences taken seriously.
That’s why we support the FND community in two ways: helping you develop your own self-advocacy skills, and providing advocacy support when you need someone alongside you.
Self-Advocacy:
Finding Your Voice
Self-advocacy doesn’t mean being confrontational or knowing exactly what to say.
It’s about understanding your own needs, communicating them clearly, asking questions, and feeling able to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
We’ve created a series of self-advocacy worksheets to help you prepare for appointments and important conversations.
They can help you:
- Identify what you want and need
- Organise your thoughts before an appointment
- Communicate your concerns clearly
- Think about what questions you want to ask
- Practise using “I” statements
- Identify when you might need additional support
- Feel more prepared and confident when speaking with professionals
You don’t have to be confident to advocate for yourself. You can learn it, practise it, and build confidence over time.
Advocacy Support From Together We Rise
Sometimes, self-advocacy isn’t enough.
You may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, unheard, or simply unable to navigate a situation on your own.
That’s where we can help.
Where appropriate, Together We Rise can advocate on behalf of members of the FND community by communicating with relevant professionals and services.
This may include helping to communicate your concerns, clarify your needs, share information about FND, or support you in seeking appropriate help.
Our role is not to speak over you. It’s to help make sure your voice is heard.
We understand that asking someone to advocate for you can feel difficult. You may worry that you’re being a burden, that you should be able to manage it yourself, or that asking for help means you’ve failed.
It doesn’t. Asking for help is a strength.
Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is recognise that you shouldn’t have to carry something alone.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Whether you want to build your confidence and advocate for yourself, or you need someone to stand alongside you, we’re here to support you.
Your voice matters. Your experiences matter. Your needs matter. And you deserve to be heard.
Need Advocacy Support?
Please email us at [email protected]
Together We Rise CIC provides support and advocacy for people living with FND. Our advocacy is intended to support communication and self-advocacy and does not replace professional, legal, medical or statutory services.