So for some reason the link feature isn’t working on the mobile app, but I wanted to share this story with you:
This is Jenny Hatch, and like Britney Spears she had to fight in court for an end to her parents’ guardianship. She was 29 when she won her case in 2013.
What’s cool about Jenny’s story is that it wasn’t “I don’t need any help whatsoever.” It was “I need some help sometimes, but I should be able to choose what that help looks like and who is in my support network.”
Because of Jenny’s case, 12 states plus D.C. now have policies to include supported decision making as an alternative to guardianship for adults who need a little extra help. The idea is that we don’t assume that someone who needs some help in one area automatically needs help with everything.
Cool quote from Jenny’s attorney:
“If I go to a mechanic, no one assumes I can’t drive. Where you and I would be called wise for getting help, when a person with a disability needs help, it’s just assumed they’re incapable of doing anything.”
If more adults with Down Syndrome/Trisomy 21 or other intellectual disabilities are able to gain more autonomy in their decision making while still having access to support when and how they need it, I think we will continue to see more and more amazing stories of their achievements.
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