Report from The Arc of Northern Virginia and the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University about the success of the Virginia Supported Decision-Making Pilot Project. Includes reporting on the ten individuals who participated in the pilot and used Supported Decision-Making with positive outcomes. Four pilot participants use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Pilot was funded by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.
Article discussing Supported Decision-Making and Britney Spears. Describes the disability community movement to create guardianship alternatives. Features CPR partners Jimmy C., CPR pilot participant with Nonotuck, and Jordan Anderson, Co-Lead of Wisconsin Supported Decision-Making state team and Youth Ambassador from the Center on Youth Voice/Youth Choice first community of practice.
Statement from Disability Justice and Supported Decision-Making Advocates: Britney Spears Spotlights the Need for Change Now
News story on guardianship reform and Britney Spears featuring discussion of Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship.
Visit resource: How Britney Spears’ Case Could Change the Future of Conservatorship
This video explains what it is like to vote with a disability. The video talks about how accommodations with voting work and what to expect when you vote. The video also explains that you can contact your state’s Protection & Advocacy Agency if something goes wrong when you are trying to vote and you need help from a lawyer.
The Arc of Northern Virginia has created a collection of excellent, accessible resources about Supported Decision-Making including:
The Go Voter project from Self Advocates Becoming Empowered includes many helpful videos and other resources about voting for self-advocates.
Information on event held by Open Society Foundations bringing together disability rights leaders who championed passage of laws eliminating guardianship and fully recognizing the right to legal capacity of persons with disabilities in Peru in 2018 and Colombia in 2019.
Visit resource: The Story of the First Two Nations to Pass Landmark Disability Rights Law
Manual for people with disabilities and their supporters to help understand how to use SDM. Contains useful tools such as checklists for deciding what type of support is needed in various areas.
Voting is important! Did you know that even if you have a guardianship you may still be able to vote? Whether you can vote while under a guardianship depends on the laws in your state and on what your guardianship paperwork says. If you are under a guardianship you may still have the right to vote. The Your Vote Counts guide from Autistic Self Advocacy Network explains the rules in every state about voting while under a guardianship.
You can also read more about your RIGHT to vote and HOW to vote on this page from Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
Visit resource: Your Vote Counts: A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Voting in the U.S.
