Article discussing Britney Spears’ conservatorship and describing Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship and conservatorship.
SDM Resource Library
Type: Document
Supported Decision-Making Handbook for Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in California (November 2020)
Handbook from Disability Voices United for parents and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Contains advice about how Supported Decision-Making can work with people who use augmentative and alternative communication.
Handbook is specific to California, but contains excellent information helpful to families in all states.
Conversation Starter Kit (2020)
The Conversation Starter Kit is a tool to help you have a conversation with a supporter, health care proxy, family member, friend, or other loved one about your – or their – wishes regarding end-of-life care and health care decisions generally. It is available in several languages and different formats. There are dedicated kits for discussions with your health care proxy, for people with Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of Dementia, and for talking to your doctor, and for children with serious illnesses.
Supported Decision Making Resource Library (June 2020)
The Arc of Northern Virginia has created a collection of excellent, accessible resources about Supported Decision-Making including:
- video stories of decision-makers,
- 3 minute webinars on SDM,
- handouts, and
- presentations.
Go Voter Project (2020)
The Go Voter project from Self Advocates Becoming Empowered includes many helpful videos and other resources about voting for self-advocates.
- Voter Education Toolkit: a guide created by leaders in the self advocacy movement to help people teach voter education trainings in their communities.
- Voting and Guardianship: resources on voting if you have a guardian.
The Story of the First Two Nations to Pass Landmark Disability Rights Law (December 2, 2019)
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
Supported Decision-Making Toolkit (Wisconsin) (2019)
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)
Making My Own Healthcare Decisions for People with Disabilities (July 2019)
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
Turning Rights Into Reality: How Guardianship and Alternatives Impact the Autonomy of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (June 10, 2019)
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.
Supported Decision-Making: A Parent’s Perspective (May 2019)
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
