5(D)(i). Get appropriate community-based supports for the client

Everyone has the right to live in the community. The right is not contingent on the type of disability or level of support needed. Lawyers tend to forget that the right to live in the community includes not just the right to decide where and with whom to live, but also to be provided with adequate supports to facilitate this choice. While the primary aim in the short-term may be for the client to leave an institution, any litigation in this area should include seeking access to appropriate community-based supports on the basis of full respect for the client’s will and preferences. This may be through seeking specific remedies in court or simply through identifying existing supports and putting the client in touch with service providers.