When it comes to navigating the world with a disability, services and supports are never one-size-fits-all. Hard of hearing and deaf plus adults need access to specialized support in a world designed for hearing people. California’s Self-Determination Program (SDP) offers individuals the opportunity to make choices about the accommodations, modifications, supports, and services they receive.
Looking for inspiration? Here are some ways SDP can help you live a safe, comfortable, more independent life.
What is California’s Self-Determination Program (SDP)?
The Self-Determination Program (SDP) is a unique California initiative that allows certain individuals with disabilities to make choices about which services they receive.
Through SDP, individuals receive a personal budget to use on approved services that serve their personal needs and goals. This can include home and vehicle modifications, educational and employment support, community integration services, and more.
With SDP, individuals can receive a budget of potentially thousands of dollars to put towards activities, tech, and care services that they personally select.
Hard of hearing adults with additional disabilities (AKA deaf plus individuals) have specific needs that traditional disability service providers don’t always meet. With an SDP budget, deaf adults with disabilities can pay for the personalized care, support, and accommodations they need to live self-actualized lives.
4 Ideas for SDP Supports Tailored to the Deaf Plus Community
SDP services are available for deaf and hard of hearing adults looking to get more tailored support in their disability services. Here are just a few of the ways deaf plus individuals can use their SDP budget, along with some additional resources for deaf adults with disabilities.
1. Audiology, Speech Pathology, and Communication Services
Among the items approved for SDP budgets are audiology, speech pathology, and other language services not covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
Sign language teachers, interpreters, translators, and training for communication technology like tablets or speech-to-text/speech recognition software are just a few of the services that SDP covers.
These kinds of accommodations, like Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services, can help individuals at home, school, or in the workplace.
2. Household Modifications & Adaptive Features
An SDP budget can pay for relevant modifications to your home, so long as they are in the interest of your health, welfare, and safety. These might be changes that improve accessibility or additions that increase independence in the home.
Deaf adults can improve home safety by adding visual alerts, like flashing lights, that are triggered by the doorbell, phone calls, and more.
For safety, you might also need to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with visible strobe lights. Tech additions like vibrating alarm clocks and captioned phones also support independence and self-reliance.
3. Tutoring
When you’re working towards educational goals, one-on-one tutoring can make a big difference. The cost of virtual and in-person educational support for deaf plus individuals can be covered by your SDP budget, helping you get the leg-up you need to get where you want to go.
4. Life Skills Training
You can use a personal SDP budget to pay for important life skills training services. These might include emotional, social, and self-care activities that support independence and community involvement.
There are plenty of free resources out there for hearing impaired adults, like these ASL financial literacy videos. However, there are times when you might need more specific, personalized support.
For deaf adults, individualized life skills training can help them navigate life with a disability and form the critical abilities they need to be successful.
Want to Learn More About the Self-Determination Program?
The Self-Determination Program (SDP) gives individuals with disabilities the freedom to make choices about the individual services and supports they need to meet their personal goals. Members of the deaf plus community and other adults with IDDs can receive personalized guidance and support through NeuroNav’s independent facilitation services. We’re here to empower, advise, and encourage you through your self-determination journey.
Schedule your free consultation today to learn more and take the next step towards a self-actualized, fulfilling future.