Choice, Control and Dignity of Risk: What Do They Mean?
Everyone makes choices that involve some risk—trying a new activity, cooking independently, travelling somewhere unfamiliar or deciding how to spend their time.
People with disability have the same right to make choices about their own lives. Good support is not about removing every possible risk. It is about helping someone understand their options and make an informed decision.
Choice and control
Choice and control means being able to influence decisions about your life and support.
This might include choosing:
What you want help with
How and when support is provided
Who supports you
Which activities you participate in
What goals are important to you
Having choice does not mean every option will always be available. It means the person’s preferences are heard, taken seriously and included in the decision.
What is dignity of risk?
The NDIS Practice Standards define dignity of risk as a person’s right to choose to take some risk while participating in life experiences.
For example, someone may want to prepare their own meal. Simply doing everything for them may remove the immediate risk—but it also removes an opportunity to learn, build confidence and become more independent.
A better approach could involve discussing kitchen safety, adapting the workspace and agreeing on what assistance will be available. The person still leads the activity while practical safeguards reduce unnecessary danger.
Supported decision-making
Some people need assistance to understand information, communicate preferences or compare options. This is called supported decision-making.
Useful support may include:
Explaining information in plain language
Using pictures, demonstrations or communication devices
Providing a small number of clear options
Allowing enough time to consider the decision
Involving a trusted person when the participant wants them involved
Discussing both the possible benefits and risks
Supporting a decision is different from making the decision for someone. The person’s own wishes, preferences and rights should remain central.
Balancing choice and safety
Choice and safety do not need to be opposites.
A respectful conversation can ask:
What does the person want to do?
What are the possible benefits?
What risks are involved?
Can those risks be reduced without taking away the person’s choice?
What support would help the person feel confident?
Safety concerns should be taken seriously, particularly where there is an immediate danger or a risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. But discomfort with someone’s decision is not automatically a reason to take control away from them.
The key takeaway
Good support does not begin with “You can’t do that.” It begins with: “What matters to you, and how can we help you do it as safely as possible?”
That small change in approach can protect safety while also respecting independence, dignity and the person’s right to direct their own life.
General educational information published by Dream Beyond Support Services. Learn more through the NDIS Supported Decision Making Policy and the NDIS Practice Standards.
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