SECTION 5123.62 O.R.C. BILL OF RIGHTS

What are rights?

RIGHTS are the rules that help make everyone equal. You have some rights when you are born. These are called human rights because every person has them. You also have legal rights, which are backed by the law. It is important to know your rights so you can speak up if your feel your rights are being taken away.

What are responsibilities?

RESPONSIBILITIES are the things that are our duty to do as citizens. Responsible people know what their rights are and respect the rights of others. Being responsible means you care about other people’s rights and are accountable.

Rights and Responsibilities go hand in hand

Your Rights

A. I have the right to be treated nicely at all times and as an individual.

A. I have the responsibility to treat others nicely at all times and as individuals.
(The right to be treated at all times with courtesy and respect and with full recognition of their dignity and individuality)

B. I have the right to a safe, clean home. I have the right to be alone with family and friends and have visitors where I live.

B. I have the responsibility to keep my home safe and clean. If I need help, I am responsible for letting others know. Other people in my home have the right to be alone with family and friends. (The right to an appropriate, safe and sanitary living environment that complies with local, state and federal standards and recognizes the person’s need for privacy and independence.)

C. I have the right to get meals that are healthy and good for me.

C. I have the responsibility to help choose and make meals that are healthy and good for me. If I need help I am responsible for letting others know. (The right to food adequate to meet accepted standards of nutrition.)

D. I have the right to go to the church/temple of my choice or not to go to church/temple.

D. I have the responsibility to be a good church/temple member. If I need help in choosing a church/temple or getting there I am responsible for letting others know. (The right to practice the religion of your choice or to abstain from the practice of religion.)

E. I have the right to go to the doctor or dentist when I need to as soon as I need to go.

E. I have the responsibility to let others know when I am sick or hurt. I am also responsible for doing what the doctor or dentist tells me to do. If I need help, I am responsible for letting others know. (The right of timely access to appropriate medical or dental treatment.)

F. I have the right to get people to help me with the way I talk, walk or do things with my hands. I have the right to get people to help me with the way I act or feel.

F. I have the responsibility to accept the help that people give to me. If I do not understand or agree, I have the responsibility to ask questions so I understand. (The right of access to necessary ancillary services, including, but not limited to, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavior modification and other psychological services.)

G. I have the right to accept help and training without it being forced on me.

G. I have the responsibility to ask questions if I do not understand why I need help or feel I am being forced to do something. (The right to receive appropriate care and treatment in the least intrusive manner.)

H. I have the right to some time to myself and a place to go be by myself.

H. I have the responsibility to let others know that I need to be by myself. (The right to privacy, including both periods of privacy and places of privacy.)

I. I have the right to use the telephone, write letters or talk to anyone I want about anything want to discuss in a responsible way.

I. I have the responsibility to be considerate of other people’s use of the telephone and treat others nicely when I talk to them. (The right to communicate freely with persons of their choice in any reasonable manner they choose.)

J. I have the right to keep things of my own that I choose to have. People can not take away my personal belongings as a way of punishment.

J. I have the responsibility to take care of things I own. (The right to ownership and use of personal possessions so as to maintain individuality and personal dignity)

K. I have the right to socialize and to be friends with both men and women.

K. I have the responsibility to act like an adult and treat others with respect. (The right to social interaction with members of either sex.)

L. I have the right to join in activities or to do things that will help me grow to be the best person I can be.

L. I have the responsibility to make choices about the activities I want to join and if I don’t know, I have the responsibility to ask what choices are available. I also have the responsibility to ask for the help that I need to get to the activities. (The right of access to opportunities that enable individuals to develop their full human potential.)

M. I have the right to have a job and make money and to save money for my dreams and goals for my life.

M. I have the responsibility to be a good worker, to get to work on time, be neat and clean, and follow the rules of my workplace. (The right to pursue vocational opportunities that will promote and enhance economic independence.)

N. I have the right to be treated like everyone else under the law.

N. I have the responsibility to know my rights under the law and if I don’t, then I am responsible for asking what they are. I am also responsible for respecting the rights of others under the law.
(The right to be treated equally as citizens under the law.)

O. I have the right not to be hit, hurt, yelled at or talked about in a mean way.

O. I have the responsibility to let others know if someone is hurting me. I also have the responsibility to not hurt other people. (The right to be free from emotional, psychological, and physical abuse.)

P. I have the right to go to school or work and meet and work with other people. I have the right to education, training and classes that will help me become more involved in my community.

P. I have the responsibility to know what my choices are and to make choices in where I go to school, work, or to learn new things. I also have the responsibility to work together with others so I can be the best I can be. (The right to participate in appropriate programs of education, training, social development and habilitation and in programs of reasonable recreation.)

Q. I have the right to help decide the things that will affect me and my life.

Q. I have the responsibility to speak up for myself and ask for help if I need it. (The right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.)

R. I have the right to ask someone (like my parents, an advocate or a friend) to speak with me and/or for me and to help me.

R. I have the responsibility to ask others for advocacy help if I need it. (The right to select a parent or advocate to act on their behalf.)

S. I have the right to manage and spend my money based on my ability to do so.

S. I have the responsibility to pay my bills and ask for and accept help in spending my money. (The right to manage their personal financial affairs, based on individual ability to do so.)

T. I have the right to have information in my file kept private. People need to get my OK to share my information.

T. I have the responsibility to not tell other people private things in my file. (The right to confidential treatment of all information in their personal and medical records, except to the extent that disclosure or release of records is permitted under sections 5123.89 and 5126.044 of the Revised Code.)

U. I have the right to tell someone if I don’t agree with something. I also have the right to talk about my concerns without being threatened by others to change my mind or get me in trouble.

U. I have the responsibility to talk to people assertively and not talk in an angry way. (The right to voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services without restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal.)

V. I have the right to not be given medications to control my behavior, be tied up, held down, or locked up unless it is needed to keep me from hurting myself or others, or unless I have agreed and there is a written plan in place.

V. I have the responsibility to try to control my emotions and outbursts and get help if I need it. I am also responsible to know what is in my plan and ask questions if I don’t understand. (The right to be free from unnecessary chemical or physical restraints.)

W. I have the right to learn about how laws are made, join in community decisions, vote for people who make laws, and be able to tell them how I feel about the laws.

W. I have the responsibility to vote, learn what people who make laws stand for, and let them know what I need. (The right to participate in the political process.)

X. I have the right to say “no” to being part of any study or experiment.

X. I have the responsibility to ask questions if I don’t understand what is being asked of me. (The right to refuse to participate in medical, psychological or other research or experiments.)

Reporting Violations of Rights

Any person with a developmental disability who believes that his/her rights outlined above have been violated, or any other person, may bring the violation to the attention of the appropriate service provider or may report the violation to any of the following agencies:

Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities
2500 Ada Road
Lima, Ohio 45801
419-221- 1385

Disability Rights Ohio
8 East Long Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
1-614- 466-7264 or 1-800- 282-9181
TTY 614-728- 2553 or 1-800- 858-3542

Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities
30 E. Broad Street 13th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
1-800- 617-6733
M.U.I. hotline – 1-866- 313-6733