The Future of Advocacy for Direct Support Professionals

By Drew Bielemeier

I never grow tired of touting the accomplishments of direct support professionals. Joe Macbeth, president & C.E.O. of the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals, has been a national leader in the advancement of this important profession and had a chance to speak directly to the compassionate and hard-working members of our workforce in June.

Joe and I both agree that DSPs are the future of our agency and our industry, but even more importantly, their needs are a social justice issue. When we fail our DSPs, we are failing the population of people with disabilities who are supported by them. By denying people with disabilities the staffing and services they need, we are hindering their ability to achieve what is most meaningful to them, therefore denying them a vital human right.

We must all do our part and continue to advocate for better wages and recognition of the profession. No social justice movement has ever gotten traction solely from the outside, which is why we need to make room for DSPs to speak up about what they need to feel truly supported in what they do. By attending discussions with industry leaders like Joe and paying more attention to what people with disabilities need, DSPs can gain the knowledge they need to successfully advocate for what they need with elected officials at all levels of government.