Independent Living Philosophy
The philosophy of Independent Living (IL) says that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else to be part of and help their communities. People with disabilities should have the power to decide things like where they live, how they get around, their social life, their job, and how they take care of themselves. Independent Living means you control your life and make your own choices.
This idea is very different from the old medical way of thinking. That way saw people with disabilities as sick and needing help. People thought they needed to watch over, care for, or feel sorry for them. That way put doctors in charge and made people with disabilities feel weak and reliant on experts to tell them what to do.
Instead of “care,” Independent Living focuses on giving people power. It means running your own life and being responsible for what you do. It means knowing what you can choose and picking what works best for you. Independent Living means having as much choice as possible about where you live, who you live with, how you live, where you work, and how you spend your time. It means joining in community life and doing things you like. It means being as able to take care of yourself as you can. It means trying new things and being allowed to succeed or fail on your own.
People with disabilities don’t think of themselves as problems. They just want the same rights as everyone else. Independent Living sees the problem differently, saying that society creates disabilities. The problem is the obstacles in the world, in how people act, and in money that people face. Many people are different physically or mentally, but society makes these differences into disabilities by creating and keeping up barriers.
The answers are protecting civil rights, getting rid of barriers, and working hard to make things better. The goal is for people to control their own lives, have the same chances as others, be part of their communities, and have enough money.
Read more about the history of disability rights on our Disability History page.
10 Principles of Independent Living
“10 Principles of Independent Living.” Persons Assuming Control of their Environment, Inc. (PACE, Inc.), 18 Aug. 2020, pacecil.org/about-us/independent-living-philosophy/10-principles-of-independent-living/.
Civil Rights – equal rights and opportunities for all, no segregation by disability-type or stereotype.
Consumerism – a person (“consumer” or “customer”) using or buying a service or product decides what is best for him/herself/themselves.
De-institutionalization – no person should be institutionalized (formally by a residential program or family) on the basis of disability.
De-medicalization – individuals with disabilities are not “sick” as prescribed by the assumptions of the medical model and do not require help from certified medical professionals for daily living.
Self-help – people learn and grow from discussing their needs, concerns and issues with people who have had similar experiences; “professionals” are not the source of help.
Advocacy – systemic, systematic, long-term and community-wide change activities are needed to ensure that people with disabilities benefit from all that society has to offer.
Barrier-removal – in order for civil rights, consumerism, de-institutionalization, de-medicalization and self-help to occur, architectural, communication and attitudinal barriers must be removed.
Consumer control – the organizations best suited to support and assist individuals with disabilities are governed, managed, staffed and operated by individuals with disabilities.
Peer role models – leadership for independent living and disability rights is vested in individuals with disabilities (not parents, service providers or other representatives).
Cross-disability – activities designed to achieve the first five principles must be cross-disability in approach, meaning that the work to be done must be carried out by people with different types of disabilities for the benefit of all persons with disabilities.