![](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1615853910099-ET5J39EVFILGMD7BM3XH/Two+men+sit+in+a+yard+talking.+One+is+in+a+wheelchair%2C+is+wearing+glasses+and+has+a+plate+of+food.+The+other+man+is+wearing+a+check+blue+button+up+shirt+and+has+a+glass+of+water.jpg)
Rally for disability advocacy
On Wednesday 24 March 2021 people with disability and their supporters gathered outside Queensland Parliament House and outside Rockhampton’s local MPs office to rally support for disability advocacy.
![Photo of a crowd of rally goers wearing yellow and holding up signs.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/7b39d7e0-051f-42c0-bd29-87dd6a250408/Crow.jpg)
![Ministerpaige.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/37cf1600-2132-40b2-a9ec-139e5115b32f/Ministerpaige.jpg)
![A man wearing a blue and white checked buttoned up shirt in a wheel chair making a speech while another man in a yellow long sleeved business shirt stands next to him holding a microphone](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1616713298377-3BJI2QPS4NWODA7KQDBL/IMG_4637.jpg)
![A lady in a yellow shirt holding a megaphone fs standing next to a man in a wheelchair making a speech through the microphone of the megaphone.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/ff01e744-6e0a-47d9-b133-82e7417ce729/QDN7.jpg)
![A group of about 30 people standing under a large tree](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/0f0de3df-143e-4d09-8ace-c9b13bb36a37/Rocky+4.jpg)
![A man in a wheel chair holding up a large sign saying Queensland disability advocacy matters, a girl is sitting in front of him wearing a yellow shirt holding a sign with the hashtag stand with us and another lady next to her in a wheel chair with an](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/212bfcd7-e051-4ca6-ae56-e8ba5b19e52a/20210324_132444.jpg)
![Two women standing holding signs with the Stand with us! logo at the top and there are three arms making fists in the middle and it says #standwithus, first lady has hat and sunglasses and second lady is wearing pink headdress and pink dress](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/52826e36-139d-4bc8-828c-247e3d7e281a/QDN24.jpg)
![A man wearing a yellow long sleeved shirt, in an electric wheel chair holding a Stand with us! campaign sign saying "Keep Queensland disability advocacy", with a crowd of other rally goers behind him](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/9dbe5746-3463-4116-9266-b1ede8d9a504/QDN5.jpg)
![Two men in suits talking to woman in a yellow shirt with the Stand with us! Sticker on the front.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/29506b43-8057-4556-b9be-6c22b031bc03/QDN39.jpg)
![Man sitting in wheelchair with breathing machine on his face with man blue shirt and tie bending over listing intently to the man](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/efa737ee-1387-42a2-bcf6-aeb9b89aca0c/QDN15.jpg)
![Lady in yellow shirt with short hair standing next to a man in a blue long sleeved business shirt talking to another lady in a yellow shirt wearing a black hat.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1b230333-31a7-407a-96c1-21dba75cc075/QDN29.jpg)
![Michael%2C+amy+elissa+and+al.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1616716249366-9CRLJCI56CO7TR768TK2/Michael%252C%2Bamy%2Belissa%2Band%2Bal.jpg)
![A lady in a yellow shirt and white cap has her back to use talking to a politician in blue suit](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/c88ffe69-aec6-4a56-9b2b-a92afd45944b/QDN12.jpg)
The Stand with us! Campaign has been led by people with disability, families/carers and supporters. People have come together to show that Queensland disability advocacy does matter. The rally showed how important it is for people with disability to have a voice and that Government is listening to people with disability.
![Man kneeling down in a long sleeve business shirt with tie talking to another man in a black shirt in a wheel chair.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/3ead776e-a866-4c85-bf43-3ca275f5024c/QDN28.jpg)
![Lady in a yellow dress with leave print in a wheel chair holding a Stand with us! sign that says Queensland disability advocacy matters](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/30cd211a-c0df-4045-b64c-80358112e983/QDN36.jpg)
![Looking at the back of a man in a wheel chair with two women on each side in yellow shirts and the man is talking to the crowd in front of him, many holding signs and wearing yellow.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/87469a6e-4aa3-4bd3-b56a-c2bd24881a0b/QDN41.jpg)
![Lady in a yellow shirt and skirt in a wheel chair holding up a stand with us! sign. Crowd of people behind her in yellow shirts with signs.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/6d479973-63e2-44c8-8a44-3238c0f0cfbb/QDN26.jpg)
![Lady in black suit talking with lady in yellow shirt with stand with us sticker on her shirt and people in the background](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/3ab9a94d-c7fd-4130-812e-c46460b25bf7/QDN20.jpg)
You can still Stand with us! by signing the pledge.
![Eight signs leaning against a short wall all with the Stand with us banner and different messages](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/220860ff-1ed7-40bf-9ce2-c49f1b17d402/LOR_2285.jpg)
![Backs of people blurred in the front of the photo and focused on a woman in a hat holding a large paper sign saying "There are no rights withouht advocacy!!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/0173f1db-2d81-47fc-b6f5-3053e4cc6bbc/LOR_2330.jpg)
![A group of people, some in yellow shirts and most holding Stand with us signs. A tall man is prominently standing in the back holding a sign.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/7621fe4b-eab5-4b26-8292-0e4990ab1bf4/LOR_2331.jpg)
![A man in a hat and a blue patterned shirt is holding a stand with us sign](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/23cbc07c-24c8-4257-bcd0-69b355bf27ad/LOR_2339.jpg)
![The photo is focused on the back of a woman in a yellow shirt with a large Stand with us! sticker on the back of her shirt](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/caa6b5fc-6dd4-448e-b6de-2741eedeca91/LOR_2363.jpg)
![A large crowd of rally goers with five people in the foreground in wheel chairs and lots of people behind. There are many Stand with us signs scattered amongst the crowd](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/a012e8b4-8466-424e-a2ff-8eca559af12c/LOR_2385.jpg)
![A side view of the large group of rally goers with lots of people wearing yellow shirts and lots of signs being held up](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/8accf1b4-909f-44ff-8fee-067314684f23/LOR_2451.jpg)
![A group of rally goers, two men in wheel chairs and about eight people standing most holding Stand with us signs](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/e8f343bc-8dae-4ed1-8cae-c44d4efc8b9f/LOR_2481.jpg)
![A group of rally goers most wearing yellow and a lot of Stand with us signs](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/9dcf7cfa-ef99-43e9-af75-5c533218caf1/LOR_2425.jpg)
Rockhampton Rally 24 March 2021
![Nine people standing in a row holding Stand with us! Signs out the front of a yellow building with a large sign on the side saying Barry O'Rourke MP](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1616730034627-MFSYO3ZU4K30SRTIXUO8/Rocky%2B1.jpg)
![A group of people listening to a lady standing at the front making a speech](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/b263c3bf-6419-468a-b101-9ecff01e3b91/Rocky+2.jpg)
![A group of people holding Stand with us! Signs looking at a man with their back to us wearing a green business shirt, making a speech](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/15ec8fb4-8cfa-43be-92e1-ace5b17a7a14/Rocky+3.jpg)
![A group of about 30 people standing under a large tree](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/603dd1607c336e1395a54420/1616730087145-S2BV9KS5NNSLTMEOHBPL/Rocky%2B4.jpg)
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Come stand with us!
Who is standing with us?
CRU believes that life is not good enough for the people who live with disability in our state. To change this we require many things - adequate funding, principled leadership and very importantly we need formal funded advocacy organisations to speak up against injustice.
Down Syndrome Queensland supports the Stand With Us campaign and is working alongside the Queensland Disability Advocacy Alliance to seek the continuation of the current disability advocacy funding from the state government.
Advocacy services are essential to enable people with Down syndrome and their carers to speak up for their rights and needs and to bring about changes to legislation and policies. Advocacy leads to improved educational and employment outcomes, more responsive health and housing services and provides opportunities for greater social inclusion.
DSQ, along with other Advocacy organisations will continue to lobby the state government on this matter.
CSIA is here to advance the Community Services Industry by doing business better. They collaborate and partner with Industry, government and stakeholders to create, test and implement evidence-based system level solutions for lasting change.
Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) are Queensland’s peak body for the social service sector. Their vision is to achieve equality, opportunity and wellbeing for every person, in every community.
Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) is a dynamic network of community mental health organisations and people with lived experience of mental illness. They have been representing the interests of their members and the community mental health sector for over 20 years.