From Here:
Distraction: Just keeping people busy and occupied
To There:
Dignity: Creating opportunities for meaning, connection, and purpose.
Perspective:
We’ve all seen it: coloring pages, endless bingo games, “community outings”, the same old movies, activities designed more to occupy time rather than to enrich lives. It may feel like we’re doing something helpful by keeping people “busy,” but let’s be real: busyness is not the same as belonging, growth, or dignity.
The shift we need is from seeing time as something to fill, to recognizing it as something to honor. Meaningful time isn’t about managing minutes, it’s about affirming identity, supporting choices, and opening the door to experiences that matter.
Knowledge:
Wolf Wolfensberger’s 17 Good Things in Life remind us that all people, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities—deserve access to love, freedom, personal growth, and inclusion. These aren’t luxuries. They are human essentials.
Too often, people with IDD are scheduled, managed, and “kept occupied” through routines that revolve around staff convenience or system efficiency rather than personal meaning.
Instead of asking “What do we have time for?”, we must ask:
- “What matters to this person?”
- “What brings them joy?”
- “What builds connection or purpose?”
Because filling a calendar isn’t the same as building a life.
The 17 Good Things of Life
1. Family (or a close-knit group for those without one)
Definition: Having people who love and accept you whether they’re relatives or chosen family.
Example: Maria, who doesn’t have close relatives, spends holidays with her housemate’s family, who include her in celebrations like she’s one of their own.
2. A Place to Call Home
Definition: A safe, comfortable space that’s yours, where you feel secure and like you belong.
Example: Tyrone chose the color of his bedroom walls, arranged his furniture the way he liked, and proudly gives friends a tour of “his place.”
3. Belonging to a Community
Definition: Being part of a group where you feel connected and known—like a church, club, workplace, or neighborhood.
Example: Every Sunday, Kayla greets people at her church door and chats with her “church friends” over coffee after the service.
4. Friends
Definition: Having people who choose to spend time with you because they like and appreciate you.
Example: Jamal and Trent bonded over their shared love of wrestling and now text each other daily and hang out every weekend.
5. A Spiritual or Belief System
Definition: Having something bigger to believe in that brings meaning, comfort, or hope.
Example: Rosa lights a candle each evening as part of her faith practice and attends a women’s spirituality group on Zoom.
6. Meaningful Work
Definition: Doing something useful or valued—not just for money, but because it matters and uses your abilities.
Example: Leo volunteers at the animal shelter twice a week, proudly helping with feeding and walking the dogs.
7. Safety and Security
Definition: Knowing you’re protected from harm, violence, or crisis, including being free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Example: After moving into a new supported living home, Jasmine said she finally feels like she can sleep without fear.
8. Chances to Grow
Definition: Being encouraged to learn, try new things, and develop your talents.
Example: Chris always wanted to learn to cook, so his staff helped him take a community class—and now he cooks dinner once a week.
9. Being Treated with Respect
Definition: Being seen and spoken to as a valued human being, not talked down to or dismissed.
Example: Even when Dan is upset, his support team listens to him without sarcasm or baby talk. They treat him like an adult, always.
10. Honesty from Others
Definition: Knowing that people are being truthful with you and not hiding things “for your own good.”
Example: When Tonya’s favorite staff member was leaving, the team told her the truth in a kind, clear way—and helped her prepare for the change.
11. Fairness
Definition: Having a fair chance—without bias, favoritism, or being set up to fail.
Example: Malik was given the same opportunity to apply for a paid job as everyone else in the program—not just a token position.
12. Being Seen as an Individual
Definition: Being known for who you are, not lumped together with others or treated as a stereotype.
Example: Instead of calling everyone in the group home “my girls, or my guy’s” and treating them as a group, the staff took time to learn each person’s likes, dislikes, and routines.
13. Having a Say in Your Life
Definition: Being part of the decisions that affect you—whether it’s big life plans or daily choices.
Example: When Sophia meets with her support team to review her goals, she co-leads the meeting with her case manager.
14. Access to Everyday Places
Definition: Being able to go where typical life happens—parks, restaurants, malls, libraries.
Example: Eddie loves going to the local gym, where he chats with regulars and feels like part of the crowd.
15. Access to Ordinary Activities
Definition: Being able to participate in things most people do—like going to a movie, shopping, or dancing at weddings.
Example: Brittany went to her cousin’s wedding, danced with her brother, and helped decorate the table with her favorite flowers.
16. Being Able to Contribute
Definition: Having the chance to give, help, or make a difference—and have that contribution noticed.
Example: Max stocks shelves at a food pantry every Tuesday, and the staff always thank him by name and let him know how much he helps.
17. Good Health
Definition: Having the best health possible—and support to stay that way.
Example: When Alejandro noticed a change in his appetite and energy, his team helped him see a doctor quickly and supported him through follow-up care.
Wolfensberger’s list isn’t a checklist to rush through. It’s a mirror we hold up to our systems, services, and selves.
Ask: Would I be okay trading places with this person for a week? A day?
If the answer is no, it’s time to advocate for the Good Things—for everyone.
Motivation:
When people experience meaningful time, their confidence grows, their identity shines, and their sense of purpose deepens. They’re not just in the world—they’re of it.
For supporters, this shift transforms the work. It becomes more than caregiving—it becomes co-creating. You’re not managing time. You’re helping someone write a life story worth telling.
Habit Cues and Reframes:
Let’s look at some common cues that signal it’s time to shift from time-filling to time-building—and how to reframe them:
| Cue | Reframe |
| “Let’s give them something to do.” | “What would they choose to do if they had real options?” |
| “We always do this on Tuesdays.” | “Is this meaningful to them, or just a routine for us?” |
| “There’s no time to plan something different.” | “What’s one small change we can make today?” |
| “They like it—they never complain.” | “Have we asked what they’d prefer instead?” |
Practice:
Here’s how we start turning everyday time into meaningful time:
| Instead of… | Try this… |
| Making generic crafts to stay busy | Creating art that tells their story or explores their interests |
| Group games that don’t match personal interests | Starting a club, class, or activity based on their passion |
| Repeating the same movies or songs | Exploring new content based on their preferences |
| Talking about people | Talking with people—about their ideas, dreams, and experiences |
Connecting to the 17 Good Things in Life:
Wolfensberger’s framework isn’t abstract—it’s practical. Here’s how meaningful time helps fulfill those good things:
- Relationships: Shared experiences build real connection.
- Choice & Autonomy: Choosing how to spend your time is freedom in action.
- Dignity: Being engaged in things that reflect your interests says, “You matter.”
- Growth: Time that challenges and inspires supports development.
- Purpose: Contributing to something bigger brings pride and joy.
Leadership
Agency leaders, managers, and case managers hold the keys to unlocking not just services, but meaningful lives. Policies, priorities, and daily decisions all impact whether people experience time that is occupied or meaningful.
This is not just about compliance. It’s about culture. It’s about choosing to lead with vision instead of checklists.
Here’s how leadership can support this shift:
1. Move Beyond the Schedule—Start with the Person
Create systems that begin with individual identity, interests, and aspirations—not generic activities. Ask:
- “What is important to this person, not just for them?”
- “How does their weekly plan reflect the 17 Good Things in Life?”
If it doesn’t reflect identity, voice, or preference, it’s just time management—not leadership.
2. Build a Culture of Dignity and Discovery
Train and support staff to see people with IDD as whole, growing individuals—not passive recipients of care.
- Include “meaningful time” as a goal in service plans.
- Make staff meetings a place to ask: What’s bringing meaning to the people we support right now?
If you wouldn’t be okay doing it yourself for 6 hours a day, don’t build it into someone else’s life plan.
3. Reinforce Cues That Support Choice and Growth
Your staff pick up cues from leadership. Make sure those cues point toward empowerment.
| Common Cue Heard in Programs | How Leaders Can Reframe |
| “Let’s just do what we’ve always done.” | “Let’s re-evaluate what actually lights people up.” |
| “They’re happy—they didn’t complain.” | “Silence isn’t consent. Let’s ask them directly.” |
| “It’s hard to offer more choices.” | “What barriers are in the way of offering more and how can we remove them?” |
Leadership isn’t about always having the answer. It’s about creating an environment where people are allowed to ask better questions.
4. Embed the 17 Good Things in Supervision and Case Planning
Use Wolfensberger’s framework as a lens in everyday leadership:
- Include the 17 Good Things in Life in training and onboarding.
- ReviewPlaning Documents and ask: “Which of these good things is this plan working toward?”
- Recognize and celebrate progress toward these conditions in team meetings and evaluations.
5. Audit Your Own System
Ask bold, uncomfortable questions:
- Are our services built around people’s preferences, or staff availability?
- Does this setting offer real opportunities for growth, autonomy, and relationship?
- Are our funding and outcome measures aligned with the life we’d want for ourselves or our loved ones?
If the answer is no—then leadership demands that we do something about it.
Final Thought for Leaders:
You’re not managing a program. You’re shaping a culture.
You’re not just overseeing services. You’re helping build lives.
Let your policies, funding, staff practices, and casework all whisper (or shout):
“You deserve the good things in life. Let’s build toward them—together.”
The ONE Thing
Regardless of where you are on this journey from here to there, from occupying time to meaningful time… may we all say to ourselves on a daily basis…
“Today I choose, in my role, to assist people in getting their needs met.”
