On September 16, 2024, Morgan K. Whitlatch, CPR’s Director of Supported Decision-Making Initiatives, presented alongside I DECIDE Georgia leaders, including Dana Lloyd, Angad Sahgal, and Grace Sherman, at a session of the annual Reinventing Quality Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The presentation topic was “Supported Decision-Making: Addressing Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.”
As a first-generation kid, it was hard. The Virgin Islands is quite behind when it comes to social awareness or acceptance, so my mom and I had no clue what to do when we learned I had autism. We didn’t know what I was going to do in the future.
Grace Sherman, I DECIDE Georgia
The interactive session explored Supported Decision-Making as a person-centered and culturally responsive strategy for overcoming intersectional barriers people with disabilities face when seeking decision-making supports. It highlighted lessons learned from projects in Georgia and Massachusetts that are seeking to increase access to SDM in underrepresented and underserved communities. It also showcased the work, experiences, and expertise of youth leaders who are advancing SDM across their states and beyond.
I was born in India where there was little awareness and support for people with Down syndrome. However, I was fortunate to have an incredible circle of support, including my family and even my neighbors. I was the first person with Down syndrome to attend the neighborhood preschool alongside my friends.
Angad Sahgal, LetMeDoIt and I DECIDE Georgia
For more information on this presentation, please see:
- Reinventing Quality PowerPoint Slides
- I DECIDE Georgia
- LetMeDoIt
- The Georgia Advocacy Office
- CPR’s SDM Training and Technical Assistance Center
- Center for Public Representation
The teacher [in Vermont] asked my parents if they wanted me to have a guardian . . . And then my family said I don’t need that because, in my culture, we don’t believe in that . . . [M]e and my family decided I don’t need a guardianship . . . Sometimes people need help from somebody else. Like it can be your friend or it can be your family, someone you trust.
Hasan Ko, Youth Leader and Self-Advocate
