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:
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
Article about Colombia’s elimination of guardianship. Contains statements by Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas.
Visit resource: UN expert welcomes legal capacity reform in Colombia to end guardianship regime
A sample letter than can be used to explain your wishes about health care decision-making to a health care provider. This letter could be used as an SDM agreement if you are only interested in your supporters helping with health care decisions.
Visit resource: Making My Own Healthcare Decisions for People with Disabilities
Toolkit about getting started with using Supported Decision-Making. This toolkit has some references to materials specific to the Wisconsin state law, but is useful for anyone interested in thinking about Supported Decision-Making.
Copies of the toolkit in Spanish and Hmong available at this link.
Visit resource: Supported Decision-Making Toolkit (Wisconsin)
Follow up report to National Council on Disability Beyond Guardianship 2018 report. This report explores the experiences of people with I/DD through interviews and research. Report discusses school-to-guardianship pipeline.
Observations on meaning of SDM from parent of individual with I/DD discussing how to address fear and risk.
Visit resource: Supported Decision-Making: A Parent’s Perspective
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.
Michael Kendrick, Director of CPR’s Supported Decision-Making Initiatives, provides an overview of SDM.
