#AdvocacyMatters: Supported Decision-Making and Transition Toolkit

March 6, 2026 / #AdvocacyMatters

After our last annual survey, one of the big topics we heard about was a need for more resources for young people who were making adult decisions. Supported Decision-Making (SDM) is a way to help people with disabilities make tough decisions with a trusted person. SDM is a crucial part of true independence and can help people with disabilities practice expressing their needs and gaining the confidence to advocate for themselves.

This week we launched our Support Decision-Making and Transition Toolkit. This toolkit was created by the advocates and attorneys here at DRO. This resource was designed to help individuals with disabilities explore options for assistance in things like powers of attorney, education, and options outside of guardianship that are less restrictive. These tools can also help those with a guardian make decisions alongside their guardian.

To make this resource as accessible as possible, we have made it available in multiple formats. The interactive version of this toolkit will allow you to navigate easily between pages. The print version would be best for a screen reader or someone who benefits from limited graphics. Additionally, we've sectioned out each topic: Education, Employment, Healthcare, Financial, and DD Services, so that each part of the toolkit can be easily read.

You can find each version of the SDM Toolkit here at: www.disabilityrightsohio.org/sdm. We hope you'll find this resource to be useful for yourself or others while they make difficult decisions. We want to thank the many teammates at DRO who made this toolkit possible, and to all of you for sharing it with your community.

Cheers to more independence and support in 2026 and beyond!

#AdvocacyMatters