Dignity of Risk – Control Your Own Destiny or Someone Else Will
This session will talk about the importance of Dignity of Risk in the lives of people with developmental disabilities (PWDD). Attendees will learn about taking risks, the disability double standard, why being overprotected is not helpful for PWDD, the importance of letting go not being overprotective as a parent, why providers and families need to embrace Dignity of Risk. Dignity of Risk is at the heart of Person Centered Thinking & Practices.
(she/her)
Nicole LeBlanc is a nationally recognized self-advocate and policy leader dedicated to advancing the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). With over a decade of experience in public policy, she excels at helping individuals with disabilities communicate their needs to elected officials and influence systems change.
Nicole began her advocacy career at Green Mountain Self-Advocates in Vermont, where she served as Advocacy Director and Project Assistant for the Inclusive Healthcare Partnership. She later completed internships and fellowships in Washington, DC, including with the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, AUCD, NDRN, and as a Dr. Ruth Sullivan Policy Fellow. She was the first self-advocate to graduate from the Vermont LEND program.
Currently a Policy Assistant at HSRI, Nicole supports the Redesign Team by ensuring disability voices shape national policy efforts and by developing accessible resources. She has also held leadership and consulting roles with TASH, Not Dead Yet, the Autism Society of Maryland, NEXTGEN Synergy, and other national initiatives focused on employment, healthcare, disability rights, and systems change.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Nicole has presented nationwide on dignity of risk, person-centered planning, employment, healthcare access, and COVID-19 policy. She has developed widely used self-advocacy tools, including the “Why Employment Matters” toolkit. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the David Joyce Advocate of the Year Award and the Steve Bartlett Award.
Nicole’s guiding motto is: “Control your own destiny or someone else will.”