Charting Futures: New ICI Resources Help Families Aim Higher
A good life takes vision, followed by planning.
A new series of videos and learning events from the Institute on Community Integration supports people with disabilities and their families as they plan for the future. The work is a collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to support community living and provide access to resources.
The short videos, available in English and Spanish , provide an introduction to Charting the LifeCourse, a national grassroots framework led by the Institute for Human Development at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, which, like ICI, is a federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. To learn more about this community of practice, check out the Charting the LifeCourse Nexus .
“This work provides an opportunity for people and families of all abilities to begin to envision what they want their life to look like, and how they're going to achieve that,” ICI’s Nicole Duchelle said. “And most importantly, to put that plan into action.
The videos were created in partnership with Life Fountain, a home health agency with experience in serving families with a variety of linguistic backgrounds.
In addition to the videos, the Institute provides free strategy sessions for families, educators, and others interested in sharing information about the framework and tools. Sessions include support for implementing the framework in school settings and in conjunction with supported decision-making, an alternative to legal guardianship. Participants exchange ideas and get real-life examples of how to center the voices and goals of people with disabilities as they plan for school, life, and decision-making.
ICI’s Seunghee Lee leads Charting the LifeCourse in Action, which are sessions that create a community of practice for families and practitioners. They exchange ideas and advice on using the framework and tools in a variety of practical ways.
“We’re having some really great discussions, and everyone is learning and sharing and taking away ideas they are using right away,” Lee said.
The work helps bring awareness to the original vision of Charting the Life Course, Duchelle said.
“Sometimes, what the person with disabilities actually wants support with is lost in discussions about accommodations,” she said. “Charting the LifeCourse brings intentionality, to support people to live life on their own terms.”