An advocate is someone who speaks on behalf of another. A self advocate is someone who speaks for him/her self. An advocate can be an individual,a family member, a friend, a professional, a provider of services, an agency representative. Since advocates often gain experience and develop expertise in a particular area, the Advocates Roundtable is meant to serve as an exchange network where experienced advocates can share their knowledge, skills, tips with each other and in so doing enhance each others ability to provide support to those we are trying to empower. The advocates roundtable was created to be two-fold in nature- it is a place where advocates can ask for quick feedback (911!) on a crisis issue. AND it is a vehicle to post non crisis issues, event and seminar information, grassroots parent training opportunities , disability related research and other general advocacy information in our State. We must all be willing to recognize the gift of feedback,collaboration and partnership. This is why the Advocates Roundtable, while respectful of the importance of consumer only or disability-specific support group talk lists, is including self advocates, parents, family members, teachers, therapists, physicians, judges, lawyers,respite providers, nurses, and others to participate so long as they are advocates who are willing to share and use one of the most powerful tools available to disseminate Statewide informtion to all of our advocactes to distribute in their own communities.

If you, as an advocate AND a parent of a child with a disability , also need a parent group to share disability/ education / employment/ issues with other parents across the State, please join us at the parent version of the advocatesroundtable by sending a message to GA-ParentNetwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com