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Vision Planning: A Guide for Parents & Carers

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What is a vision plan?

A vision plan is a clear and intentional description of what a good life looks like for your disabled family member. It is a person-centred process that is built around the disabled person’s hopes and dreams, to construct a picture of the kind of life they would like.

Vision Planning: A Guide for Parents & Carers ( PDF file, 1.73MB )
Why is a vision plan important?
Formalising a vision by putting it on paper helps us to clarify our thoughts and ideas as a family
It helps give us direction about what kind of life our disabled family member can have. When life gets tough it is easy to focus on the present and to lose sight of where we are headed or why we are doing things. If we have a vision, then we can all steer toward that vision. You may not know yet how you are going to get there, but the vision helps keep you on track.
Having a vision allows you to evaluate choices that are before you.
It allows you to ask, will this bring the person closer to the desired outcomes? It helps you see what kind of people you need to bring on board to support your vision.
A vision plan helps us to communicate our vision to others and to enlist support from them.
When we talk with family members, friends and professionals it allows them to see why we are doing certain things and why something that may seem small is an important part of a bigger plan. Understanding the vision plan means that others are more likely to adapt how they relate to or what they do with your loved one. A vision plan may even assist you with getting funding through NASC if the item in question is part of your plan.
Having a vision helps to recognise the disabled person’s rights to the same kind of ordinary life outcomes that all people have.
Having a clear vision of what a good life looks like means understanding that disabled people need to be given the same opportunities to fulfill their hopes and dreams like others at similar stages of life. This includes opportunities for learning, employment, having a home, family and social participation. If you would like to be further inspired about creating a vision then we recommend watching Wendy Stroeve’s clip Clarity of Vision - Imagine More.

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