Speaking out for People with
 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Guardianship Links

VOR continues to support the rights of parents, family members, and concerned individuals as legal guardians of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have collected some of our current and past documents here for your convenience.

VOR Position Paper: Guardianship vs. Supported Decision Making

Issues to Consider Regarding Guardianship and Supported Decision Making

By VOR's Issues and Oversight Committee on Guardianship Rights

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their parents, family members and guardians may have heard about Supported Decision-Making (SDM), an initiative that could affect their decision-making rights. Some see SDM as an alternative to guardianship, while others view it as an attempt to remove the legal instrument that provides a safety net for vulnerable individuals.  

VOR is a national organization that advocates for high quality care and human rights for individuals with I/DD. We understand the valuable role that guardians play in the emotional and physical well-being of their wards. As advocates who appreciate the diversity of the I/DD community and the need for a wide array of supports, we want to ensure that guardians and family members are aware of the issues connected to Supported Decision-Making so that they can make informed decisions about the care of their loved one with disabilities.

VOR Survey: Giving a Voice to Families and Guardians of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Various Residential Settings

Policy favoring deinstitutionalization has had a major adverse effect on many individuals, with a shift in funding priorities from Medicaid Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs/IID) and other specialized facilities, to smaller service options, such as Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) settings.

People as Pendulums: Deinstitutionalization and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

By Tamie Hopp, VOR Director of Government Relations & Advocacy in Nonprofit Quarterly, July 16, 2014 (and reprinted in the Summer 2014 Nonprofit Quarterly Print edition)

Early reforms were quite properly motivated by the need for a system of care and supports that responded to the very individualized and diverse needs of the entire population of people with I/DD. These reforms, however, also set the stage for decades of ongoing deinstitutionalization, resulting in the elimination of specialized housing, employment and education options for people with I/DD, leaving some to question the price of “progress.”

Zoom Link for VOR's 2023 Annual Meeting

VOR - A Voice Of Reason is inviting you to our 40th Anniversary Annual Meeting

Topic: VOR's 2023 Annual Meeting
Time: Jun 11, 2023 11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 846 3760 7710
Passcode: 941234
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