Individual Rights and Choices

Portfolio Assessments

Lesson 1: Overview of Individual Rights

Completes a reflective essay on the rights that they see as most important in the lives of people whom they support and the rights most important to them personally. Explains what are the differences in responses to the first two questions are and why these differences exist.
copy of the agency�s Bill of Rights along with a written interpretation of these rights in the simplest terms possible or in a way that you would explain it to the individuals your support.
Develop a document that includes a list of rights that you believe should be included in a Bill of Rights for your agency that presently is not included. Describe why you think it should be added or included.
Identifies several state laws that affect the rights of the individuals he or she supports.
Completes a personal journal entry of how these laws regarding individual rights and protections personally affect the lives of the individuals he or she supports.

Lesson 2: OVERCOMING A PAST OF BARRIERS AND RESTRICTIONS

The learner will produce a photo journal, video, or written essay that chronicles the passage of important pieces of legislation that have helped people with disabilities gain a full set of civil rights and protection of those rights. The learner will include evidence of sample interviews with people who have disabilities and/or their families who have personal experience with rights restrictions as they relate to the federal and local laws that protect rights. A reflection statement is included with the learner�s perspective regarding how well those laws protect the rights of people with disabilities and whether laws go far enough or not and why. This statement will include how the learner will use this knowledge in practice.
The learner will take a controversial issue regarding rights and people with disabilities and research it. (For example, forced treatment in mental health, the use of guardians or surrogate decision makers, right to service in the community, the right to the least restrictive environment in educational settings, criminal justice issues, right to maintain guardianship of a minor when placed out of the home, etc.) The learner will make efforts to use multiple sources including both research and the perspectives of self-advocates and families to understand the issue. The learner will develop an essay in which the issue is explained (How big is the issue? How does it affect people? Why is it like this?). The learners perspective on how this issue should be handled and why is included.
The learner will identify systemic or societal barriers for a person being supported and will propose changes that can help the person be able to exercise his or her rights more fully. The learner will document the barriers and steps taken to make improvements. Actual work samples (documentation, photos, copies of correspondence, etc.) will be used to help reviewer authenticate the work. The learner will include a summary statement that helps the reviewer understand the issue and what happened, including the kind of help the learner provided and what he or she learned and/ or would do differently in the future based on this experience.

Lesson 3: Restrictions of Individual Rights

Finds and includes a copy of both the federal and state laws concerning guardianship.
Provides examples of ways in which s/he has encouraged people who have guardians to make decisions.
Provides evidence that s/he has talked with a person s/he supports and their support network to determine the history, reason and process that was used to determine whether or not the person was or should be appointed a legal representative.
A list of all individuals that the DSP supports and the names and contact information for any person involved in guardianship, conservatorship, power of attorney, along with the specific decisions this person has the legal authority to make.
A personal reflection on a time where it was necessary to intervene in order to protect an individual from serious harm as well as a time when individuals whom he or she supports took reasonable risks in their lives and their personal reaction to both situations.

Lesson 4: Your Role in Supporting Expression or Rights and Facilitating Choice-Making

A description of an activity that the DSP has developed or has found that could be used in a workshop teaching about rights.
A reflection or an experience the DSP had in teaching someone about their rights.
Compiles a list of names and descriptions of Self Advocacy groups and organizations both nationally and in their local area along with contact information for these groups.