This includes people with disabilities and those who care for them. As with any consumers, users of services for people with disabilities should have the right to choice, quality, accountability and redress. Advocates are people who have been given the power by consumers to speak on their behalf, who represent the concerns and interests of the consumer as directed by the consumer, and seek the outcome desired by the consumer. Although governments and others may give power to advocates, such advocacy is token unless it is directly accountable to the consumer. Advocates must have a separate, clear role.
Advocacy is often about resolving conflicts of interest.
Advocates cannot allow themselves to be caught in those conflicts. For instance, service provider staff acting as advocates should be directed by the person being advocated for, yet they are accountable to their management and may not be used to taking direction from consumers. Carers for people with disabilities should be aware of a similar difficulty when acting as advocates. To be an advocate, especially for an adult offspring, is not the same as being a parent. Also, carers often need advocates for themselves and have as much right to an advocate as any other consumer.