Self Determination

With a focus on the use of narrative approaches, this article is a commentary on decision-making support for people with profound intellectual and multiple disability at the end-of-life. Due to improved health care, people are living longer lives than ever before. Therefore, they are increasingly facing decisions relating to end-of-life care and planning. Despite the increased attention that has been given to end-of-life planning, opportunities to have preferences responded to at the end-of-life are more likely afforded to people considered to have cognitive and decision-making capacity.

The principles of the NDIS Act, and the associated principles in the Nominee Rules (see the draft attached to this document), are sound principles that uphold the rights of participants. The draft legislation requires that participants are to be involved in decisions that affect them, including making decisions for themselves, to the extent possible. The draft rules require a presumption of decision making capacity, and that nominees will only be appointed when it is not possible for a person to be assisted to make decisions for themselves. This analysis suggests further division of the roles of nominees that occurs up front, as a way of maximising the opportunity for people with a disability to make decisions and gain personal authority in their lives through participation in the NDIS.

This is the fifth of five resources in the It’s My Choice toolkit. From a human rights perspective choice plays a central role as one of the primary underlying principles. In the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) choice and autonomy are the basis of the first principle and linked to the aspiration of independence: ‘Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons…’(Article 3a)

This is the fourth of five resources in the It’s My Choice toolkit. This Film and Discussion Guide will help you talk about three films about making your own choices.

This is the third of five resources in the It’s My Choice toolkit. This guide is designed for Disability Service Providers (DSPs) and support workers to support people with disabilities to make their own choices and to develop service and choice planning frameworks that deliver better lives.

This is the second of five resources in the It’s My Choice toolkit: A Guide for People with a Disability, their Family Carers, Friends and Advocates.

This is the first of five resources in the It’s My Choice! toolkit. While choice is often spoken about, as a practical task it is far from easy to implement. Developed in partnership by Inclusion Melbourne and RMIT University, this toolkit consists of five guides that support people with a disability, families and support providers to understand and explore the principles of choice. It also provides examples, worksheets and other practical tools to support people to develop their choice making abilities.

A Community Circle brings people together to help someone to live a more connected life, Community Circles support people to do what matters to them. They are about finding out what is important to the person, and thinking together about how to turn that purpose into meaningful action. It is also a way to help people self direct their lives through supporting their decision making, ensuring choice and control.

Our Town is demonstrating the role that community plays in shaping mental health and wellbeing, and the roles that communities can play outside of formal service delivery to increase mental wellbeing. Our Town communities are demonstrating the shifts that are possible when you work at the level of local cultures, mindsets and economies. The initiative gives towns and regions the power and opportunity to define what’s best for their community, so that they can reclaim their mental wellbeing.

This book provides practical prompts to help non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations engage First Nations Peoples and foreground First Nations’ wisdom, so that together, we can further reconciliation, self-determination and change.