Learn the Lingo

Choice: The act of picking or deciding between two or more options. It means having the freedom to select what you want.

Support: Help that makes things easier for someone. It can come from a person, like a teacher or friend, who helps you learn or do things. Support can also be something you use, like a checklist that reminds you what to do or a special device that helps you talk.

Rights: Things that every person is allowed to have or do. For example, the right to speak and be heard.

Respect: Treating others with kindness and valuing their feelings and opinions. It means recognizing that everyone is important.

Responsibility: A duty or task that a person is expected to take care of. It means doing what you are supposed to do.

Laws: Rules made by the government that everyone must follow. They help keep people safe and make sure everyone is treated fairly.

Freedom: The power or right to act, speak, or think without any restrictions. It means being able to do what you want.

Disclose: To reveal, share, or make known information that was previously a secret or private. Remember, disclosing information can be voluntary (you choose to share it) or required (you have to share it by law or policy in certain situations).

Self-Determination: The ability to make your own choices and control your own life. It means deciding what is best for you.

Self-Advocacy: Speaking up for yourself and your own needs. It means asking for what you want and explaining why you need it.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): A federal law in the United States that ensures students with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that meets their unique needs. This protects students still in high school.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A federal law in the United States that protects people with disabilities from unfair treatment. It makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

Reasonable Accommodation: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that a reasonable accommodation is a change to the hiring process or workplace that helps a person with a disability have the same chance to get a job and take part in work activities.