Sub-Pages: About
SILC – Hawaii | What Does Independent Living Mean? | Choice & Inclusion
What does "independent living" mean?
 The concept of independent living seems to be fairly well understood
in North America. But misunderstandings can still occur, as "independent living" can
be used to describe (and name) a social movement of people with disabilities
(much like the women's movement), or can refer to organizations or services
(similar to women's centers or transition houses). Independent living can also
refer to the underlying principles and theory behind the movement's actions
and the delivered services (similar to feminism). The academics of disability
studies now use "social model" to refer to a particular approach
to researching and understanding the lives of people with disabilities, which
has a striking resemblance to the more grassroots term "independent living."
In many other regions of the globe, however, it is not a safe assumption that
the term IL will be understood. We will describe some of the different interpretations
of the IL concept.
Results of international surveys on meaning of Independent Living
The following descriptions of variations of independent living are based primarily
on work conducted by IDEAS 2000 Fellows through an international survey developed
in 1995 and distributed 1995-1998. Five hundred surveys were distributed and
171 were completed, representing 54 countries. Generally, substitute terms
were used in different languages to reflect the local or regional meaning of
what North Americans call "independent living." To some degree, variations
in definitions can be correlated to socioeconomic and cultural contexts of
the countries responding to the surveys.
USA’s Definition of Independent Living
A Universal Definition of IL?
In search of IL definitions that were free of cultural priorities and regional
restrictions, the following three seem to offer the greatest latitude:
 From the USA:
"
Independent Living: Control over one’s life based on the choice of acceptable
options that minimize reliance on others in making decisions and in performing
everyday activities. This includes managing one’s affairs, participating
in day-to-day life in the community, fulfilling a range of social roles, making
decisions that lead to self-determination, and minimizing physical or psychological
dependence on others.
"
Independent Living Movement: The process of translating into reality the theory
that, given appropriate supportive services, accessible environments, and pertinent
information and skills, severely disabled individuals can actively participate
in all aspects of society.
"
Independent Living Program: A community-based program that has substantial
consumer involvement. It provides direct or indirect services necessary to
assist severely disabled individuals to increase self-determination and minimize
unnecessary dependence on others." (Frieden, Richards, Cole & Bailey,
1979)
Sweden’s Definition of Independent Living
From Sweden:
"
Independent Living means that we demand the same choices and control of our
everyday lives that our non-disabled brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends
take for granted. We want to grow up in our families, go to the neighborhood
school, use the same bus as our neighbors, work in jobs that are in line with
our education and abilities, start families of our own. Just as everybody else,
we need to be in charge of our lives, think and speak for ourselves." (Adolf
Ratzka, www.independentliving.org)
Asia’s Definition of Independent Living
From Asia:
"
Independent living means living just like everyone else – having opportunities
to make decisions that affect one's life, being able to pursue activities of
one's own choosing – limited only in the same way that one's non-disabled
neighbors are limited. Independent Living should not be defined in terms of
living on one's own. Independent living has to do with self-determination.
It is having the right and the opportunity to pursue a course of action. And
it is the freedom to fail – and to learn from one's failures – just
as non-disabled people do." (Manual of Self-Help Organizations, United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 1991:13)
Sub-Pages:  About SILC – Hawaii | What
Does Independent Living Mean? | Choice & Inclusion
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