On behalf of Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, I am proud to introduce you to the Jenny Hatch Justice Project (“JHJP”)! The JHJP is an integrated, multi-faceted resource and outreach center dedicated to advancing people with disabilities’ right to make their own choices and determine their own path and direction in life.
Margaret “Jenny” Hatch is a 29 year old woman with Down syndrome who the Washington Post describes as a “hero to the disabled.”
She never planned to be.
Instead, Jenny wanted to live her life the way she always had – deciding where to live, what to do, work and see like everyone else does. That all changed in August of 2012, when Jenny was served with a Petition attempting to put her in a guardianship, one where her guardians would have the power to make all her decisions for her – even whether to receive or withhold healthcare. Almost immediately, Jenny was placed in a temporary guardianship and forced to live in a group home, where she was cut off from her friends, removed from her job and taken from the life she made for herself in her community.
Through it all, Jenny never lost hope, never stopped insisting that she did not need a guardian, she just needed a little help. Like everyone else.
At long last, after a year of litigation and six days of trial, Jenny won the right to make her own decisions. Jenny now lives and works where she wants, has the friends she chooses, and encourages others to do the same.
Since the “Justice for Jenny” trial ended, Jenny has become a sought-after speaker, sharing her story and strength with groups across the country. The Jenny Hatch Justice Center is named in her honor, in recognition of her courage and commitment.
Source:
JennyHatchJusticeProject.org