Doing what we say you are going to do is part of being responsible and is also part of being a good self advocate. To self advocates, the word responsible means, "I am dependable and honor my commitments. I keep my word. The people around me are honest and fair, do what they’re supposed to do, and keep their word."
As people, we all have times when we have to depend on others for help or others have to depend on us. It is important that the people that we depend on are responsible. Keeping commitments to someone is important to building a strong connection with others and important to having successful relationships. To be good self advocates, we have to keep our word so that others know we are dependable and responsible. Only when we show these qualities can others begin to trust us and accept that what we say is true.
We have a responsibility as advocates to speak up for what we believe in. Keeping our word and being responsible for our commitments is powerful. Being a responsible person means that we understand what we need to do to keep our commitments. It is also important that those that are supporting us are also responsible and help support us, but do not speak for us. Speaking up and keeping your word is always the responsible thing to do. Only then can we be trusted as professionals and self-advocates.