Joining advocacy coalitions

Join with groups already working on similar issues to build power and share resources.

There is nothing accidental about the delays, denials, and omissions that families face. They are not random failures. They are the predictable outcomes of an education system that was never designed to fully include disabled students—especially when those students challenge normative ideas of behaviour, productivity, or compliance.

When you start to realize this, it’s easy to feel like you’ve hit the wall. Like your case is stuck. Like you’ve exhausted every internal option. But the wall is also where movements begin.

This strategy is about stepping beyond your own case and connecting with people who are naming the same barriers, in different rooms. It’s how we move from isolated survival to collective momentum.

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How to use this strategy

Start by identifying what issue your case is really about. Beneath the IEP meeting, the delayed support, the vague principal email—what is the larger problem?

• Is it failure to accommodate?
• Is it discriminatory discipline?
• Is it a denial of access to specialized programs or environments?
• Is it the chronic erasure of neurodivergent students’ needs?

Then look for groups working in that space. They may include:

• Disability justice collectives
• Education equity coalitions
• Neurodiversity-affirming networks
• Legal clinics or human rights education centres
• Community-led watchdogs or action groups

You don’t need to have the same diagnosis or district to have a shared goal. You just need to care about the same system failures—and be willing to push together.

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What coalitions offer

• Knowledge: Policies, case law, and precedent you may not know.
• Templates: Complaint letters, documentation tools, data trackers.
• Visibility: A platform to make your story part of a broader call for change.
• Strategy: Guidance on how to frame your issue so that it sticks.
• Protection: When you’re not alone, retaliation is harder. Silence is harder. Delay is harder.

You can participate by:

• Signing on to joint submissions
• Sharing your story (anonymously or not)
• Attending meetings or consultations
• Helping track patterns across districts
• Bringing updates from your case into a larger data picture

Coalitions don’t just amplify—they accumulate. Over time, they become what single voices cannot: undeniable.

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What to watch out for

Some families hesitate to join coalitions because they think, “I’m not an activist,” or “I don’t have time to lead anything.” That’s okay. You don’t need to lead. You don’t need to have all the words. You just need to show up when and how you can—and be willing to share what you’ve seen.

Others fear backlash. But being part of a coalition doesn’t increase risk—it spreads it. It reminds the system that more than one person is watching.

Just make sure the groups you connect with are aligned with your values. Look for coalitions that are trauma-informed, disability-led, and committed to both accountability and access.

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You are allowed to build with others

You are allowed to say:

“This isn’t just happening to us.”

You are allowed to learn from what others have done.
You are allowed to bring your story into a space that turns it into strategy.
You are allowed to become part of something bigger—even if you’re exhausted.

Because the system is counting on you being isolated.
And coalitions are how we break that design.