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Guiding Principles

The following is a list of the guiding principles that gives direction to the Council's planning efforts and greater understanding about the people the Council serves:

FREEDOM and JUSTICE

The Council believes that all people, including people with disabilities and their families, have the same basic rights associated with the status of citizenship. All people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; the right to be treated with respect and dignity; and the right to direct one's own life, to control one's own destiny.

SELF-DETERMINATION

The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities believes that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families should be the primary decision makers in the management of their lives including determining how the limited amount of public funding available to support them is spent. Individuals and families should be able to direct their supports to the extent they desire.

OPPORTUNITY

Within the limited resources available to them, individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have the right to make such essential decisions as where to live, with whom to live, and how and where to spend their time. People should have the freedom to choose the individuals or agencies supporting them.

INDEPENDENCE and INTERDEPENDENCE

Our valid goal of increasing independence for people with developmental disabilities is balanced by emphasizing the interrelationship and interdependence of people with developmental disabilities with one another, with their families, and with all of us on this planet who depend upon one another for survival, for love, for laughter, and for support when life becomes difficult or challenging.

INCLUSION

The Council promotes the full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities into their communities. The Council also believes in promoting quality of life and safety by enhancing relationships with friends, families, neighbors and fellow citizens, as these relationships occur in the community.

LIFESPAN APPROACH

The lifespan approach is grounded in flexible, individualized support, and an understanding of the life stages experienced by all people from birth, through childhood, adulthood, and old age. The Council recognizes that the passage through life includes continuous transition and adaptation. While any person's capacities and needs change through a lifetime, all people rely on their families and the larger community for their sense of belonging and identity.

DIVERSITY

The Council recognizes the strengths of all people with developmental disabilities and their families, from all races, ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic circumstances. The goal of diversity is to support individuals and their families in a culturally competent manner, which is responsive to their beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, language and behaviors, and ensures effective and meaningful opportunities for full participation in their communities.