This week, we celebrate James Meadours. He wrote an article for the Institute on Community Integration. It’s called “Dignity of Risk.” In it, he shares his life journey. He talks about how taking risks has shaped his life. He thinks that all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) should have the chance to take risks.
What Is Dignity of Risk?
Dignity of risk is the right of all people to make choices, even if they bring risk. Taking chances is part of living a full life. We might want to protect someone so much that they never face any risk. But this denies them growth, learning, and dignity.
Watch advocacy leader Max Barrows talk about dignity of risk in this video.
Why Dignity of Risk Matters
Taking risks means making choices. Choices mean control. Control means dignity. When people with IDD get to decide, they are acting as their own person. They are not just being protected.
Mistakes come hand-in-hand with risk and choice-making. Making mistakes is okay. They are a natural way to learn, grow, change. If we never allow mistakes, we freeze someone’s growth. We treat them like a child needing protection rather than as an adult who can make their own choices.
Risk also helps build identity. Someone chooses a job, a place to live, a friend group. They might try, succeed, or fail. Then they adjust. That’s real life. The dignity of risk says that people with IDD deserve the same life path as everyone else.
Why We Try to Protect Instead
We may try to protect people with IDD because we care. Family, friends, and others may fear what can happen to a person on their own in the world. And it’s true that people with IDD may face more dangers than others. So the impulse is to keep them safe because we don’t want them to be harmed. This is a loving and natural way to feel.
Caregivers and service providers may also try to limit risk. In the past, many people with IDD were put in institutions. They had few choices. Decisions were made for them, not with them. Some caregivers and service providers still have that mindset. Those who work with people with IDD may also worry about duty of care. They may fear that people with IDD will be harmed on their watch. Service rules may also push providers to reduce risk. They don’t want to be blamed if something bad happens.
The “safe” choice is to limit risk. But that also limits potential. It can stop someone from trying. Over-protection can become a barrier to a full, rewarding life. As James likes to remind people, don’t put your loved ones in a dome. Let them live their lives on their own terms.
Learn More
Dignity of risk is a critical concept for anyone who cares for and works with people with IDD. To learn more:
- Read the article “Dignity of Risk” by James Meadours and Bill Gaventa.
- Read our past blog posts on independent living.
- Take our free self-advocacy courses at the Self-Advocate Network Academy.
As strong allies, we can learn to empower people to take risks. They will learn through success and failure. They will build a life of dignity on their terms.