We stand beside people with intellectual disability, to help their voices be heard when decisions are made which affect their lives.
Melbourne East Disability Advocacy (MEDA) works to support people’s existing strengths and promote their abilities to advocate for themselves.
We work with people living with intellectual disability in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, in the local council areas of Whitehorse, Booroondara, Manningham, Monash and Maroondah.
MEDA Individual Advocacy Program
We are often contacted by people with intellectual disability, their support workers, friends or family, who identify that an advocate may be useful.
We meet with the person, work out what the issue or decision is which is affecting them, what they want to happen and prepare an advocacy plan. This plan may involve us attending meetings with the person where decisions are to be made, helping them present their views to their support providers or contacting other organisations such as the Office of the Public Advocate, Victoria Police, Disability Services Commissioner or VCAT.
Volunteer Citizen Advocate Program
MEDA has managed a successful Volunteer Citizen Advocate Program for over 30 years. This program recruits people from the community, matches them with a person living with intellectual disability who has sought an advocate and supports the community member to be a consistent, questioning presence who works alongside their partner to ensure their voice is heard and their human rights are upheld.
MEDA currently has many active Volunteer Citizen Advocate partnerships.
Work we do:
Our speciality is working with adults living with intellectual disability.
We also work with people who have an acquired brain injury.
Work we do not do:
Unfortunately, we are not funded to work with children with intellectual disability.
We do not work with people living with mental health conditions and without intellectual disability.
We do not provide counselling, mediation to resolve family difficulties or general case management.
Annual Report
Click to view MEDA’s 2022 Annual Report.
Click to meet the MEDA team.