The Philosophy of Independent Living

The philosophy of Independent Living is that of living like everyone else - having control of one's own life, having opportunities to make decisions that affect one's life and being able to pursue activities of one's own choosing, regardless of disability.

It means 'the right of all persons regardless of age, type or extent of disability to: live in the community, as opposed to living in an institution; have the same range of choices as everyone else; participate in the social, economic and political life of their communities; have a family; live as responsible respected members of their communities with all the duties and privileges that this entails, and; unfold their potential.' (Adolf Ratzka, Disability Activist 2002)

This means challenging the person living with a disability to define their basic needs and empowering them to think differently, moving from a traditional passive dependent status to one that actively engages them in making decisions directly affecting their daily lives. It also means challenging community and state to provide the same range of choices to a person with a disability as to everyone else, in areas such as housing, transport, education and employment.

Independent Living therefore is not just concerned with the routine physical tasks of day-to-day life, but is more about a way of life and a state of mind. It is about self-actualisation; taking control of one's own life; exercising choices; taking responsibility while also allowing for the dignity of risk and the freedom to fail. It is also a social and political movement that is changing the way services are provided and the role people with disabilities play in society.