May 10, 2018
BBI Chairman Peter Blanck to address Best Buddies National Jobs Forum Leadership about Supported Decision-Making for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
On May 23, Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) Chairman & University Professor Peter Blanck will speak at the International Headquarters of “Best Buddies” to the organization’s national job coordinators, who are part of the world’s largest global volunteer movement for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership for millions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the globe. The Best Buddies Jobs program helps to secure integrated and meaningful jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to earn an income, pay taxes, and support themselves.
Dr. Blanck, will discuss the relevance of his work conducted with colleagues at BBI on Supported Decision-making (SDM), which offers opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to make their own decisions in the employment and other daily life contexts. In SDM, adults who need assistance with decision-making–for instance, some people with intellectual and developmental disabilities–receive the help they need and want to understand the situations and choices they face, so to the maximum extent possible they may make decisions for themselves, without the need for undue and overbroad substitute decision-making regimes.
In their forthcoming 2019 book, “Supported Decision-Making as an Alternative to Guardianship: Law, Policy, Research, and Practice,” Dr. Blanck and BBI Legal Director Jonathan Martinis provide a first-of-its-kind theory to practice guide to empower all people with disabilities to be full, equal, and valued members of their communities. “It’s for the people, parents, family, friends, professionals and practitioners on the ‘front lines,’ who give and get the support we all need to lead our best lives.” The book, published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, is to teach all individuals “the why and how of SDM.” Dr. Blanck’s talk at Best Buddies is part of broader efforts by BBI and the Southeast ADA (http://www.adasoutheast.org) to advance the rights of all persons with disabilities. Dr. Blanck’s appearance is part of a training partnership between SEADA and Best Buddies Jobs to provide training for BB Jobs staff on supported employment best practice and ADA Title I rights and responsibilities.
About the Burton Blatt Institute
BBI reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities, with offices in Syracuse, NY, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, GA. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. For more information about BBI, visit: https://bbi.syr.edu.
About the Southeast ADA Center
The Southeast ADA Center is a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and is a member of the ADA National Network, a network of ten regional ADA centers funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The Center serves an eight-state geographic region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) and has a network of partners and affiliates in each state that includes Centers for Independent Living (CILs), individuals with and without disabilities, small and large employers and businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities, and state and local government agencies. The Southeast ADA Center answers questions, provides training and information, and conducts research about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For more information, visit: www.adasoutheast.org.