True change happens when fiery truth-tellers and careful negotiators work in tandem — one shaking the system, the other reshaping it. Progress demands both courage and calculation.
“You can’t handle the truth!” –Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men (1992)
That line, though cinematic, often plays out in real life for advocates who speak truth to power. Many find themselves negotiating not only with systems resistant to change but also with the internal politics of the very organizations that claim to champion justice. The question then becomes: are we serving the mission, or are we serving the funders?
Advocacy, at its core, is the act of supporting a cause, idea, or policy — it’s about influencing decisions to create meaningful, positive change. Yet influence itself can be a double-edged sword. When advocates are employed by institutions with political or funding constraints, their power to challenge injustice can be muted. The fear of losing access, resources, or one’s job can quietly transform bold advocacy into careful diplomacy
This balancing act becomes even more precarious when the advocate’s lived experience is intertwined with the cause. For those of us with disabilities, advocacy isn’t theoretical — it’s deeply personal. Every fight for access, equity, or dignity echoes our own daily battles. But that same emotional resonance can blur the line between personal passion and strategic action. The true test of advocacy is knowing how to separate emotion from fact without stripping the humanity from either.
And the facts speak volumes. According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 billion people worldwide — roughly 16% of the global population — live with a significant disability. In the United States, the employment–population ratio for people with disabilities is just 22.7%, compared with 65.5% for those without disabilities. That gap isn’t about capability — it’s about access, bias, and attitudinal barriers deeply embedded in our systems.
Nearly 4 in 10 adults with disabilities in the U.S. report being treated unfairly in healthcare, employment, or when seeking public benefits, according to the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. Disability discrimination remains among the top complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) — over 33,600 cases in 2023 alone.
These numbers are not abstractions; they are evidence of a structural imbalance that polite advocacy alone cannot dismantle.
The Leashed Advocate vs. The Unleashed Advocate
Here’s where advocacy gets complicated. There’s an unspoken hierarchy in advocacy spaces — a contrast between the leashed and the unleashed advocate.
The leashed advocate is the one invited to the negotiations. They speak in a measured, palatable tone — an “inside voice” that fits comfortably in legislative hearings and executive offices. They maintain relationships, preserve access, and can often nudge policy along incrementally. But that access comes with invisible restraints: speak too forcefully, and the door quietly closes.
The unleashed advocate, on the other hand, refuses to soften truth for comfort. They raise their voice, challenge inequity directly, and energize communities who have waited too long to be heard. Their power is raw, necessary, and often disruptive — the very spark that ignites movements. But in a world where power fears disruption, they can also find themselves locked out of the rooms where deals are made.
Both roles, however, are essential.
The unleashed advocate pushes the system; the leashed advocate negotiates within it. One agitates; the other articulates. One yells to shake the table, and when the room finally quiets, the other sits down to turn the noise into policy. The truth is, victory rarely happens without both.
A Real-World Lesson: The PPL Controversy
A powerful example of this dynamic played out when advocates in New York and other states opposed the monopoly of Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) as the single Statewide Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Fiscal Intermediary for New York State. All Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) recipients are required to work with PPL as their Fiscal Intermediary for home care services. Advocates with disabilities — many of them fierce, outspoken, and rightfully frustrated — raised alarms about reduced choice, poor oversight, and threats to consumer-directed care. Their critiques were accurate and urgent.
But the volume of their outrage — though justified — made lawmakers and the office of Governor Kathy Hochul uncomfortable. The unleashed advocates were gradually sidelined from direct discussions, replaced by more measured voices that decision-makers found “easier to work with.” The result? Incremental policy improvements rather than the full overhaul that was needed.
It was a painful but important lesson: being right is not always enough to win. Power often responds not to truth, but to tone. And the hard reality is that advocacy effectiveness often depends on timing, temperament, and tactical restraint.
Strategic Unleashing
The beauty of the unleashed advocate lies in their authenticity — their refusal to dilute truth. But strategy matters. To truly move the needle, the unleashed advocate must know when to roar and when to recalibrate. Being “unleashed” doesn’t mean being reckless; it means being intentional — unapologetic about the truth, but strategic about the path to change.
We must recognize that change, unfortunately or fortunately, is often incremental. The leashed advocate can open the door that the unleashed advocate has rattled. The unleashed advocate can reignite passion when progress slows. Together, they sustain momentum — one outside shaking the gates, the other inside, quietly turning the key.
To Bedfellow or Not?
So, to bedfellow or not? The answer isn’t binary. Partnership, when rooted in mutual respect and transparency, can amplify both voices — the fiery and the formal. The goal isn’t to silence either, but to synchronize both toward justice.
Because in the end, advocacy isn’t about protecting positions — it’s about transforming systems. It’s about ensuring that every person with a disability has equal access not just to spaces, but to power.
The unleashed advocate wields truth. The leashed advocate translates it.
Together, they make change not only possible — but unstoppable.
Closing Thought
Data can prove inequity, but only courage can dismantle it. The unleashed advocate brings the fire; the leashed advocate brings the form. Progress demands both — working in tandem, refusing to yield to fear or comfort, and never forgetting who the fight is truly for.
Marcus Johnson is co-leader of the Civics League for Disability Rights (CLDR), an independent, volunteer-led group of New Yorkers with disabilities who advocate for themselves, their community, and for systemic change in healthcare and access for people with physical disabilities. Contact: civicsleague@gmail.com
Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Able News at The Viscardi Center and/or The Viscardi Center.