1. Beyond Travel Training
Becoming an Advocate

2. What is an Advocate? ad·vo·cate noun
noun: advocate; plural noun: advocates
ˈadvəkət/ 1.
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular
cause or policy.
"he was an untiring advocate of economic reform"
a person who pleads on someone else's behalf.
"care managers can become advocates for their clients”

3. Why is it hard?
Politics
Funding
“This is how we’ve always done it”
What else?

4. Advocacy vs Lobbying
“Advocacy is the process of stakeholders making their voices heard on issues that affect their lives and the lives of others at the local, state, and national level.”
-National Council on Aging
Photo credit:

5. Advocacy vs Lobbying
“Lobbying, on the other hand, involves activities that are in direct support of or opposition to a specific piece of introduced legislation. “
-National Council on Aging
“While nonprofits can engage in some lobbying, the IRS has strict rules about what portion of their budget can go toward these activities. There are also prohibitions on any use of federal funds for lobbying.”
-National Council on Aging

6. Examples of Advocacy Trainee experiences discrimination
Quality of service is poor
Proposed route or fare structure changes would negatively impact trainees
Inaccessible bus or bus stop
Long term transit/accessibility planning

7. Why is collaboration important to advocacy?
Examples?

8. ADA Participation Action Research Consortium
ADA PARC
ADA Participation Action Research Consortium

9. Other Examples Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan
Community Meetings
Meetings with Transit Agencies

10. How Do You Advocate?
Group Discussion

11. Central Maryland Regional Transit
Thank you!
Alexandra Dupree
Manger of Training and Community Relations
Central Maryland Regional Transit