Most of us take for granted all the opportunities in life we’ve been given, from enjoying our living environment to our jobs, opportunities for entertainment and travel. People living with disabilities have a completely different outlook on things mentioned above. There are so many barriers they come across every day that can significantly limit their choices of all things. Some things like the lack of ramps, Braille writing and sign-language interpreters is very obvious, but some other things are more sneaky yet more than felt by the community (think misunderstanding, prejudice and even hate).
The truth is that people with disabilities have to live with physical barriers as well as social and emotional ones. There’s absolutely no reason for any of those barriers to exist, especially the latter ones, when there are millions of people with disabilities living a completely fulfilled life and have managed to achieve independent living. So what is that coveted independent living?
What is independent living?
This type of living for people with disabilities involves living “just like everyone else”. This freedom includes the ability to make decisions about their lives, to engage in activities that spark interest and adhere to limits only non-disabled people hate to stick to. Living alone, being employed and hanging out with people is a part of living independently. However, true independent living also includes choices, empowerment and self-determination. The true definition of independent living allows people to do anything legal they want and to fail and learn from their mistakes. Of course, independent living can be hard and dangerous, yet still, people rate it higher than almost all other forms of living.
Early days of independent living
At the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s, the idea of independent living was born from the wish to involve people with disabilities from all over the world with a more serious role in their communities. The main idea is to provide people with disabilities with opportunities to make decisions concerning their lives.
This effort started the formation of communities of people with different disabilities who got together to discuss and find solutions for various barriers they had to face every day, as well as the gaps in services. People managed to address these barriers and develop action plans that would go on to educate others and influence lawmakers to put certain policies in place that will remove many of the barriers for disabled people. When it comes to the gaps in services, a new method of service came to life—a system that allows people with disabilities to choose their services, direct them, tailor them to their needs and even deliver them to other people in order to live more independently.
The first independent living center was opened in California in 1972, with Boston and Houston quickly following suit. Today, these centers exist and operate all over the world, allowing disabled people and seniors to enjoy freedom, be independent and be useful to society.
Independent living centers and communities
People with disabilities who want to live independently don’t have to do it 100% on their own. There are practical services that provide users with supported independent living which means users can live and work on their own while also getting assistance when and where they need it. People working in these centers have the knowledge and experience when it comes to working with people with disabilities and they know exactly what is necessary for independent living.
Benefits of independent living communities
Many people with disabilities do require some amount of help throughout the day, and independent living communities can offer just that. In spacious living quarters, residents can enjoy privacy or socialize with other users. They also get a say in all household decisions, routines and activities. For residents who need better socializing, they the community organizes movie nights, cooking events, sports, arts and crafts, etc. Assistance can also help with certain goals and aspirations. If the resident wants to get a job or learn how to do something, they can get all the necessary assistance.
Why do people choose independent living?
Many organizations and services are made for serving people with disabilities such as vocational rehabilitation agencies, group homes, rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, etc. These organizations are very valuable for people with disabilities and their lifestyles which leads to more independence. However, what puts independent living centers apart from these organizations is the level of independence they offer. This mainly concerns the freedom to make policies and decisions. Why is this level of control beneficial for people with disabilities? Well, independent living centers understand that people with the highest understanding of disability needs and wishes are exactly the people with disabilities.
Independent living is what makes life satisfying and fun. Thanks to various centers and organizations for independent living, people with disabilities can live their lives the way they always wanted—on their own terms.