Independent Living enables us as disabled people to achieve our own goals and live our own lives in the way that we choose for ourselves.
The Social Model of Disability reminds us that we are disabled by the social, environmental, institutional and attitudinal barriers that prevent us from being able to fully participate in society on an equal basis. Independent Living builds on this by providing practical solutions for removing the barriers of disablism.
Independent Living offers practical solutions for removing the barriers to equality and social inclusion that disable us, including in health & social care, housing, education, employment, transport and access to the environment.
Independent Living is an idea that helps us to understand the problems that we face as disabled people in our everyday lives. It gives us a structure for tackling the many different issues that prevent us from having the same choices, opportunities, access and control of our lives that non-disabled people have. It shows what needs to be done to enable us to be valued and treated with the same respect as other people.
To achieve independent living, the right support needs to be in place to give disabled people full choice and control over how they live their lives. Disabled people are best placed to decide what that support should be.
