United Voice: Self-Advocacy in Malaysia in Covid times

United Voice is a self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  In fact, United Voice was the first self-advocacy organisation for people with learning disabilities to be set up in Malaysia back in 2005.  

United Voice exists to support people with learning disabilities to speak up for themselves and for one another. 

United Voice  also supports people with learning disabilities to get paid jobs through its transition program, supported employment and counselling services.

United Voice has played an important role in supporting people with learning disabilities all across Malaysia. 

COVID-19 has made life hard for self-advocates. Self advocacy groups  have struggled to stay in touch with their members and to continue to support one another.  

A lot of people feel stuck at home.

It has been difficult for people to stay in touch, especially when they don’t have access to the internet.  

During  the pandemic, family members and other supporters have had less time to support self-advocates.

But good things are still happening.

United Voice opened  The I’m Possible Cafe for business on 9th March, 2021.

People are looking forward to their vaccines. 

And working together with The University of Sheffield, Inclusion North and Learning Disability England, United Voice has recently launched an online interactive map to help people to find their local self-advocacy group in Malaysia.  

Everyone hopes that people with learning disabilities will be able to be together again soon.