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Months after prevailing in a guardianship battle that drew national attention, a woman with Down syndrome is the namesake of a new center challenging an “over-reliance on guardianship” for those with disabilities. Margaret “Jenny” Hatch, 29, won the legal right earlier this year to make choices about where she lives and works. Her mother had sought guardianship and wanted Hatch to continue living in a group home where her decision-making abilities were limited. Now, Hatch is the public face for a new effort known as “The Jenny Hatch Project” that will share resources and knowledge gained from her case and promote alternatives to traditional guardianship for other people with disabilities.

Register here now!What:Reaching the age of 18 can be an exciting time. It’s also a time when many questions arise around legal responsibilities for young adults with disabilities and needs for continuing support. Families and professionals need information and assistance to think through questions around who will makes certain legal decisions- including about health care- and how to support young adults to assume greater responsibility for decision making over time. Guardianship is often used as a solution, yet it is important to understand the potential benefits and drawbacks of this and other legal approaches to providing decision making assistance. From an advocacy perspective, the goal is to protect as much independence as possible while supporting safe and clear decision-making processes. This webinar will discuss the options for support including from its least to most restrictive options. Tina Campanella, Executive Director of Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, will lead this discussion. Quality Trust is an independent, nonprofit organization in Washington, DC supporting children and adults with disabilities through lay and legal advocacy services.When:Wednesday, March 14, 201212:00 pm - 1:00 pm MTContact:Got Transition? NHCTCPhone: (603) 228-8811

When someone turns 18, they become an adult and are expected to make the right to make decisions about their medical treatment, finances and life. In order to make these decisions binding (in a legal sense), the person should be competent to understand the decision being made and the consequences of that decision.

Click here to register!What:Please Join the Southwest ADA Center and the Texas Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities for another ADA Virtual Round Tables webinar.   Attorney Deborah A. Green with the Law Offices of Deborah Green, and Attorney Tom Ruffner, Court Investigator with Travis County Probate Court in Austin, Texas will discuss a range of financial and legal tools for planning for a lifetime of support. When:Monday, December 5, 2011 12:00 PM Mountain  Contact:Phone: (713) 520-0232Email: ilru@ilru.org

Click here to download the registration form for this event (PDF) What: People with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities, are outliving their parents (their main caregivers) for the first time in history. Future Care Planning Services was launched in Rochester, NY in 2002 as a unique collaborative service of two disability service providers and an aging service provider to encourage and help aging caregivers develop written health, housing, legal, financial and guardianship plans for the future care of their also aging dependent loved ones with disabilities. The panel will consist of: Doris Green, Evelyn Exman, Ginny Lyness and Margaret Lonnen. When: May 11, 2011 1:00-2:30pm Mountain