Community for Everyone is striving to create a community where everyone belongs and where people with intellectual disability are leaders in their own lives. The right to exercise choice and control in one’s life is a central principle for NDIS participants. This can be empowering and enabling for people who can speak for themselves, explain to others what is important to them and what their hopes and dreams are. However, for people who communicate informally, achieving the choice and control promised through the NDIS is usually not as straight forward. A person’s right to be supported to make and enact decisions about their own life expands well beyond the context of the NDIS, to all aspects of a person’s life. Through this workshop participants will be introduced to the concept of supported decision making particularly focusing on how its principles can be applied to people who communicate informally. Jo will share her research and practice focused on supported approaches to decision making for people who communicate informally. The workshop will be fun and interactive, providing participants, circles of support and staff teams, with an opportunity to collaboratively focus on the specific communication and decision making of the person/people they support.

About Dr Jo Watson

Dr Joanne (Jo) Watson has worked in the disability sector for over 30 years as a support worker, Speech Pathologist, academic and researcher advocating for the voices of people with complex communication support needs to be heard. Having lived and worked in Asia, Australia and the USA, Jo is known internationally for her practice and research in supported decision-making mechanisms particularly as they apply to people with complex communication support needs who communicate informally. Her extensive practice and academic experience coupled with her personal experience as a sister and daughter of 2 women with disability, has enabled Dr Watson to develop a deep understanding of the barriers and enablers to inclusion, equality, and citizenship for people with disability. Jo is Associate Head of School (International) for the School of Health and Social Development in the Faculty of Health at Deakin University. She is the co-founding course director of Deakin University’s Post graduate disability and inclusion program in Melbourne, Australia. She is an active researcher in the field of disability and inclusion.

Please contact Side By Side Advocacy if cost is a barrier but you would like to attend.

You can reach us at cfe@sidebysideadvocacy.org.au