A Self Advocates Guide to Patient Rights

A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Patient Rights is a plain-language guide developed by the Inclusive Healthcare Partnership Project to help people with disabilities understand their rights in health care settings. The guide explains important topics such as being treated with respect, privacy and confidentiality, accessing medical records, informed consent, making decisions about care, having a support person at appointments, and planning for future health care decisions.

This guide can be used by patients, families/caregivers, educators, and health care providers to teach self-advocacy and patient rights before medical appointments or as part of health education. It can help individuals with I/DD learn about their legal rights, understand informed consent, communicate their preferences, and participate more actively in health care decisions. It can be reviewed ahead of appointments to facilitate discussions about patient rights and decision-making and to prepare individuals to advocate for themselves during health care visits.