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Cover art for: Sean’s Decision: Decision Making Support for People with Cognitive Disability

Sean’s Decision: Decision Making Support for People with Cognitive Disability

This booklet sets out guidelines for families and supporters – including siblings, friends and others – to help people with cognitive disability make decisions.

Authors: P. Gooding, S. Koritsas, L.Duffield, J.Watson and N. Hagiliassis
Organisation: Scope (Aust) Ltd
Format: Document (pdf)
Pages: 32
Region:Australia
Cover art for: Supporting Nick to make decisions: A personal exploration of choice

Supporting Nick to make decisions: A personal exploration of choice

Published: 10th December 2014

Nick likes to make decisions. To make decisions about his life puts him in control. They also provide him with opportunities to learn. Nick is an energetic young man, who has strong family connections and friendships, an adored long time girlfriend, and a desire for a life of his own, separate from his parents. He also has cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability and epilepsy. The impact of these conditions are that he is unable to speak, and needs a walking frame or wheelchair to get around. He is impulsive and his sense of danger is variable and dependent on his mood and focus at the time. This paper highlights the question “What do we need to do to support Nick’s choices?”

Author: Jane Tracy
Organisation: La Trobe Roundtable on Supported Decision Making
Format: Document (pdf)
Pages: 7
Region:Australia
Cover art for: Riding LIFE – Brad Goldman

Riding LIFE – Brad Goldman

Brad Goldman is a man with DRIVE. After living for most of the first 25 years of his life at Metheny Hospital and School in Peapack, NJ, he sought out the support of Neighbours Inc. to assist him in pursuing his vision of life as someone who had the power and authority to create life he wanted to live. Seventeen years later, Brad has lived in his own apartment, managed his own staff, and thrives as a painter, photographer, and business entrepreneur.

Organisation: Neighbours International
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: The Power of Communication

The Power of Communication

Published: June 2021

Robert and Amy Steeples tell us about communicating with their sister Claire, and focus on one particular Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategy which has completely changed Claire’s life.

Author: Amy and Robert Steeples
Format: Document (pdf)
Pages: 2
Region:United Kingdom
Cover art for: SDM and Me – Jason Harris

SDM and Me – Jason Harris

Published: June 2021

Let me introduce myself. I am Jason Harris, an autistic person and researcher at the Burton Blatt Institute. Supported decision-making (SDM) is something that is very important in my life. This is true for me both professionally and personally. As someone who has a master’s degree in disability studies and whose work involves disability rights, these ideas around disability in general, and SDM specifically, are important to my work and how I do my work. As well as doing work around SDM, it is something I use personally in my own life.

Author: Jason Harris
Organisation: National Resource Centre for Supported Decision Making
Format: internet (web)
Region:United States
Cover art for: How Justin Clark’s fight for independence transformed disability rights in Canada

How Justin Clark’s fight for independence transformed disability rights in Canada

Published: November 2018

In 1982, Justin Clark won the right to leave the institution and make his own decisions about his future. The impact of his case — a pivotal moment in the Canadian disability rights movement — continues to be felt today. His contribution was to transform society’s understanding of disability, in telling his own story.

Organisation: National Resource Centre for Supported Decision Making
Format: internet (web)
Region:Canada, United States
Cover art for: The Power of Core Vocabulary: Life Saving!

The Power of Core Vocabulary: Life Saving!

Published: July 2012

John has something important to say. This video shows the importance of core vocabulary communication support for individuals to be heard and understood.

Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Supported Decision Making In Action: Belinda’s Story

Supported Decision Making In Action: Belinda’s Story

Published: June 2016

Belinda enjoys freedom of choice in her life. In 2015 Texas became the first state in the United States to pass a law recognising supported decision making as an alternative to Guardianship, and that the courts consider all alternatives to guardianship first.

Organisation: Disability Rights Texas
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Supported Decision Making

Supported Decision Making

Published: September 2016

People are often unjustly seen as not having the capacity to make their own decisions. Their rights to make decisions are often taken away through guardianship. However, with Supported Decision Making, an individual making a decision with the help of a supportive group gives them control over their own lives. With Supported Decision Making, an individual making a decision with the help of a supportive group gives them control over their own lives. Social inclusion must include the process of making decisions. We all make decisions with the help of a supportive, caring circle of family and friends. We all need Supported Decision Making.

Organisation: Inclusion Canada
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:Canada
Cover art for: The Jenny Hatch Justice Project

The Jenny Hatch Justice Project

Published: October 2013

At long last, after a year of litigation and six days of trial, Jenny won the right to make her own decisions in 2013. Jenny now lives and works where she wants, has the friends she chooses, and encourages others to do the same.

Author: Jenny Hatch
Organisation: Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities
Format: internet (web)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Anthony Arnold: The role of AAC in supporting Self – Determination

Anthony Arnold: The role of AAC in supporting Self – Determination

Published: November 2021

Anthony speaks about his four key goals for life – how he has developed his communication skills, established his own voice and developed his decision making capacity to further enhance his life choices and self determination.

Author: Anthony Arnold
Organisation: RERC on AAC
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Supported Decision Making: A Family’s Perspective

Supported Decision Making: A Family’s Perspective

Published: July 2017

This video features Karl, and a discussion on Supported Decision Making as an alternative to guardianship, from a family’s perspective.

Organisation: Able South Carolina
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Jason – Building a Circle

Jason – Building a Circle

Published: March 2012

This video is an example of building a support network with Jason’s circle of friends and family. Jason’s capacity to connect with people has made it possible to draw people together, forming a small community of people who are committed to making sure that Jason is supported with his decision making.

Organisation: Neighbours International
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Meet Amanda!

Meet Amanda!

Published: June 2016

Amanda Benoit is a self-advocate and proud representative of the Supported Decision-making Pilot Project, a joint initiative of Nonotuck and the Center for Public Representation.

Author: Amanda Benoit
Organisation: Nonotuck Resource Associates Inc.
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: John McCarty: The Process of Terminating Guardianship using Supported Decision Making

John McCarty: The Process of Terminating Guardianship using Supported Decision Making

Published: April 2020

John McCarty describes how he terminated his guardianship, and had his rights fully restored, by using Supported Decision Making.

Author: John McCarty
Organisation: Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Why Supported Decision Making Matters and How to Get Started

Why Supported Decision Making Matters and How to Get Started

Published: May 2020

John McCarty describes the framework for getting started and why this is important for all people with disabilities. Supported Decision Making is a process that leads to self-determination for people with disabilities.

Author: John McCarty
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Jordan’s Story

Jordan’s Story

Published: August 2021

In this video Jordan shares his supported decision-making story and how he almost lost his rights. Jordan and Ashley also talk about a new project they are working on for the Centre of Youth Voice, Youth Choice to train other self-advocates about alternatives to guardianship.

Organisation: Self Determination Channel
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Gabby’s Story

Gabby’s Story

Published: March 2016

Gabby describes how she uses supported decision making strategies to make her own  healthcare related decisions.

Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Will McMillan’s Story

Will McMillan’s Story

Published: July 2021

Will McMillan makes his own decisions with help from trusted family and friends. Will shares lessons he’s learned and tips for making good decisions. “I might make mistakes, but I learned to pick myself up and keep going.”

Organisation: TN Council on Developmental Disabilities
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:United States
Cover art for: Supported Decision-Making video resources

Supported Decision-Making video resources

Published: November 2022

These videos explain supported decision-making. They were launched in November 2022 by the Living My Life Project to provide organisations, services, and professionals access to resources that will help them build the decision-making capacity of the people who use their services.

Organisation: Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) South Australia
Format: internet (web)
Region:Australia
Cover art for: Supporting Decision Making Principles

Supporting Decision Making Principles

The Principles that surround Supported Decision Making.

Organisation: WA's Individualised Services
Format: Poster (pdf)
Pages: 1
Region:Western Australia
Cover art for: Lives Of Distinction

Lives Of Distinction

Published: May 2007

“Lives of Distinction” offers stories and tools that support people to be members of community life.

Author: Beth Mount
Format: Document (pdf)
Region:United States
Cover art for: I Am The Director of My Own Institution

I Am The Director of My Own Institution

Published: November 2022

“I am the director of my own ‘institution’” depicts István’s transition to living independently with the support of people he trusts, and free legal support provided by Validity. The film shows the legal and social barriers István faced to gaining true independence, including the threat of being placed under guardianship and our legal steps to ensure he retained his right to legal capacity. It also describes Validity’s work to undertake strategic litigation challenging largescale systems of institutionalisation and guardianship that affect millions of persons with disabilities around the world.

Organisation: Validity Foundation
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:European Union
Cover art for: My Life Story

My Life Story

Published: June 1982

Justin Clark tells the story of how he fought for the right to make his own decisions and  leave the institution where he  lived  for 18 years, to live his life as he chose. In 1982, he won the right to leave the institution and make his own decisions about his future. The impact of his case — a pivotal moment in the Canadian disability rights movement — continues to be felt today.

Author: Justin Clark
Format: Youtube (videoY)
Region:Canada