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Empowering disabled young people
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What is empowerment?

Empowerment is about recognising and building on the strengths of disabled young people. It helps them become stronger, more confident, and have more control over their own lives.

It also teaches them about their human rights, so they know how to stand up for themselves.

“To be empowered means having the confidence, knowledge, ability, or resources to do things you want to do. It allows your world to open up and gives you the internal belief to self-advocate in your communities more and more … Becoming empowered is an ongoing process.”

– Ezra, a disabled young person

Read Ezra's blog

Why is it important for disabled young people to feel empowered to speak up and make complaints?

It’s important for disabled young people to feel empowered to make complaints because it helps them speak up for their human rights and needs.

When they can express concerns or issues, they learn to advocate for themselves, build confidence, and gain control over their lives.
This image celebrates Disability Pride by showing a diverse group of disabled people confidently expressing their identities. The group includes individuals with various disabilities—some using wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, walkers, or accompanied by a guide dog. They are all smiling and holding signs with empowering messages like “Disabled and Proud,” “Chronic & Iconic,” and “Disability Pride.”

What disabled young people want you to know

Here are a few things that can help you empower your young person when they are facing a problem with their supports and services. 

  • Talk to young people before you schedule meetings with support workers, or other people in their lives. This can give them a sense of control.
  • Trust that young people know their needs best.
  • Don’t intervene or take over and do something for the young person, unless they ask you to.
  • Know that a young person’s way of solving a problem might be different from yours. Try to support and encourage their ideas.
  • If you say or do something disempowering,  acknowledge your mistake and let the disabled young person know that you’re committed to acting differently next time.

Questions you might ask to support a disabled young person

When disabled young people are facing a problem with their supports and services, you could ask:

  • Do you want me to step in or are you happy to handle this?
  • Do you want to work out a solution or just talk about it?
  • Instead of asking “how can I help?” ask “what would you like to do?”

Barriers to making complaints

Disabled young people experience specific barriers when making complaints, including:

  • Feeling like the problem is too small or not bad enough to complain about.
  • Not knowing how to make a complaint.
  • Not being able to articulate the problem in the way they think is needed.
  • Being worried that they will face negative consequences because of their complaint, such as a fear of losing access to their services and supports.

You can support disabled young people to make complaints by acknowledging and starting a conversation about these barriers.

For example, reassuring them that they have the right to make a complaint and offering to start the process with them.

You can support disabled young people to make complaints by acknowledging and starting a conversation about these barriers.

For example, reassuring them that they have the right to make a complaint and offering to start the process with them.

Disability pride and empowerment

It is important to foster a sense of disability pride in disabled young people.

Disability pride means refusing to be ashamed of disability. Disability pride can be very empowering for disabled young people. 

Visit our page about disability pride
Empowering Disabled Young People