Just in time for the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a vital new legal tool has been released to help Arizonans with disabilities understand and exercise their legal rights.
The 2025 Legal Options Manual is a collaborative effort between Disability Rights Arizona, Sonoran Center for Excellence inisabilities, and the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, advocacy groups serving Arizonans with disabilities. The manual is designed to empower self-advocates and their supporters by outlining legally recognized options for making informed, person-centered decisions.
Available free of charge, the manual comes in multiple formats, including a fillable PDF that allows self-advocates or caregivers to fill out forms easily on a computer. The pages are printable and plain language sections have been added for ease of use. A Spanish-language edition with a digital companion version is also available.
“The Legal Options Manual was created to give Arizonans with disabilities legally recognized options so that they become empowered to make informed choices,” said Sey In, staff attorney at Disability Rights Arizona. “From supported decision-making to power of attorney arrangements, from transition planning for young adults to planning for future healthcare decisions, there’s an option that covers different areas in a person’s life.”
In, who has been working on supported decision-making initiatives since 2018, emphasized the manual’s importance in promoting autonomy.
“This manual is important because we want individuals to make the calls in their own lives,” he said. “And this manual provides choices.”
To request a printed copy, contact the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council at addpc@azdes.gov.