Self-Advocates & The Buddy Walk

Self-advocates play an important role at NDSS. Self-advocates testify on important policy issues, serve on the National Board of Directors, as Goodwill Ambassador and in all areas of NDSS programming. Click here to learn more about self-advocates at NDSS and self-advocate resources.

Self-advocates should also play an important role at Buddy Walks! Buddy Walks usually appeal to children with (and without!) Down syndrome because they are fun family days and often include kid-friendly activities like face-painting and carnival games. It can be harder, though, to attract pre-teen, teen and adults with Down syndrome to join in the fun. This is unfortunate, because there are so many reasons including older people with Down syndrome is important:

• The Buddy Walk is an awareness event, and it is important that the “face” of Down syndrome is diverse and real to life…this of course includes teens and adults! The Buddy Walk is an excellent opportunity to share the abilities of self-advocates with the community.
• Many of the issues facing people with Down syndrome and their families are especially critical for teens and adults, for example transition, healthcare, independent living and employment.

• Many local support groups report struggling with attracting older teens and adults with Down syndrome and their families to their activities and resources year-round. Also, families of young children with Down syndrome can benefit from the experience and friendship of a family with older children.

Here are some tips for including teen and adult self-advocates into the Buddy Walk:

• Invite a few self-advocates to join the Buddy Walk planning committee.
• Have self-advocates take a leadership role in reaching out to the greater community on behalf of the Buddy Walk, for example, writing letters to elected officials or doing Buddy Walk publicity.
• Get tips from self-advocates about what they might like to do at the Buddy Walk and allow them to plan these activity tables. Consider sports, arts and other activities at your walk that might interest teens and adults. You may even want to have a special “teen and adult” area.
• Use self-advocate volunteers on the day of the Buddy Walk to distribute T-shirts, serve refreshments, announce activities and more. Running activities for younger kids can be especially fun and rewarding.  Acting as “grand marshall” for the walk is also an exciting job.
• Recognize self-advocates at the walk with special pins or medals.

For more ideas and specifics, see the Buddy Walk manual.