This story of the movement for independent living is based on the fundamental principle that people with disabilities are entitled to the same civil rights, options, and control over decisions in their own lives as people without disabilities. Accordingly, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1954 states that disabled people were only considered rehabilitated when they were employed to their own satisfaction, not just with their employers. This policy was revolutionary and empowered people with disabilities to be partners in making decisions that impact their lives. In 1980, four (more) ILCs were established in New York State, including the Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC).
The Independent Living (IL) movement began in the early 1970s when the Berkeley Center for Independent Living in California was founded by Ed Roberts and other disabled people who attended the University of California at Berkeley. In 1978, Wade and Atlantis realized that access to public transportation was a It is necessary if people with disabilities should live independently in the community. The community model; the medical model sees people with disabilities as a problem and the independent living model sees people with disabilities as a solution. The story of the movement for independent living is not complete without mentioning a few other leaders who continue to make substantial contributions to the movement and to the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities.
When the process of deinstitutionalization began in the 1960s, some people with significant disabilities were released from inevitable life sentences in nursing homes and other facilities, which for the first time in history offered an opportunity and a necessity for people with disabilities to free to live and live independently. As the philosophy of independent living prevailed nationally and the Disability Rights Movement gained acceptance and political influence, a grassroots movement was introduced for a comprehensive disability rights (ADA) law. In 1974, Wade founded the Atlantis Community, a model for community-based, consumer-controlled and independent living. Independent Living Centers are not places to live, but agencies that provide information, support, and advocacy to help people with disabilities live in the communities of their choice.
There are already outstanding documents of this kind, in particular Gerben DeJong’s Definition and Implementation the Independent Living Concept (1988.Independent Living) means controlling and managing one’s own life and taking responsibility for your own actions. Living independently means that you can make the highest possible range of choices about where you live, who you live with, how you live, where you work, and how you use your time. Today, Centers for Independent Living are waging similar battles to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are protected. The philosophy of the Independent Living Movement developed from the community law model, which believes that when an individual needs support to live in the community, that support should be provided.
These lives of these two leaders of the disability rights movement, Ed Roberts and Wade Blank, offer poignant examples of the modern history, philosophy, and development of independent living in the United States. Conclusion: Independent living is BOTH a philosophy of life AND a philosophy for providing services.
References:
- History of Independent Living | Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida
- https://www.wilc.org/the-philosophy-of-independent-living/
