Person-Centered Planning: Embracing the 5 Valued Experiences and Accomplishments with John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien
Meet the creators of the Five Valued Experiences and the Service Accomplishments – John O’Brien and Connie Lyle O’Brien. Their lives drive to the heart of person-centered planning—a way of supporting people with disabilities by shifting our attention from what’s not working to focusing on what truly matters: The focus is on creating a community where everyone belongs, where everyone’s contributions are valued, aiming to build what is called a “Beloved Community”—a place of justice, equality, and inclusion for all.
Utilizing the underlying principle of normalization t the five valued experiences guide person-centered planning to feature lives that feature these five core values::
elonging: Being connected and actively involved in community life through a variety of relationships and memberships.
Sharing Ordinary Places – sharing in activities with other citizens, neighbors, classmates, and co-workers.
Being Respected: as whole persons whose history, capacities, and future are worthy of attention and whose gifts lead them into valued social roles.
contributing: – Sharing unique talents and strengths with others by discovering, developing, and giving their gifts and investing their energy in meaningful activities.
Choosing: what they want in everyday situations and dedicating themselves to contributing to their community in ways that matter to them.
These experiences aren’t just ideas—they’re windows into people’s lives and the foundation for shaping plans that honor what each person finds meaningful. This approach encourages us to think deeply about how to support people in ways that help them live lives worth living, surrounded by community, respect, and opportunity.
These experiences are essential because, without intentional support, people with disabilities often face small social networks, limited autonomy, and exclusion from community life. The focus is about living a good life with common human experiences that must be intentionally fostered, not left to chance.