Independent Living Philosophy & History
What Is Independent Living Philosophy?
The concepts that unite the independent living movement are expressed through a philosophy that has profound implications for individuals with disabilities, family members, and our entire culture. Independent living philosophy is not just about an individual living in an apartment rather than in an institution — nor is it solely about finding a job, having a social life, or being able to ride an accessible bus.
It is about changing the way “we the people” structure our society. Independent living philosophy challenges us all to actualize the liberating ideals of our most precious documents: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
Philosophy in Action
Independent living philosophy is not abstract — it has real, practical implications for how we shape the world around us.
The Built Environment
When an architect designs a building, it should be conceptualized to be easily accessible to all — not simply to those who are able to climb stairs or open doors without alternative methods of entry. As a culture, we should expect that buildings serving the public must accommodate all of the public. This has radical implications for how we shape our physical environment.
Education
When children go to school, teachers must accommodate the individual needs of each student — not simply the needs of the status quo. This has radical implications for how we shape the minds that make up our social environment.
Rights and Responsibilities
Every individual has responsibilities that accompany each right. However, those responsibilities do not include having to overcome socially imposed physical and attitudinal barriers that have nothing to do with an individual’s abilities. Those barriers are the result of conscious and unconscious choices we collectively make as a society — choices that limit the participation of people with disabilities in the community at large.
Core Principles
Independent living philosophy promotes:
- Consumer control of services
- Self-determination in all aspects of life
- Equal access and participation in every aspect of community life, to the level that an individual chooses
Independent living does not necessarily mean living on one’s own — but it does mean having a level playing field so that one has the opportunity and the right to do so, if one chooses.
Independent Living vs. Traditional Rehabilitation
Historically, “independent living” has been defined in terms of the functional abilities of people with severe disabilities to perform common activities of daily living with varying levels of support. This medically-based definition focuses primarily on the physical functioning, motivation, and skill deficits of the individual — rather than on the physical and attitudinal barriers that exist in the broader community.
Independent living philosophy takes a fundamentally different approach: it encourages people with disabilities to actively participate in their own rehabilitation as self-directing, self-empowered individuals — rather than as passive receivers of services.
| Independent Living Model | Medical / Traditional Rehabilitation Model |
|---|---|
| The individual is a consumer, peer, and self-advocate | The individual is a patient under the care of a professional |
| Focus on environmental and attitudinal barriers in the community | Focus on functional deficits and physical limitations of the individual |
| Individual self-directs services and goals | Professional prescribes services and acts as gateway to treatment |
| Outcome: self-advocacy, empowerment, and community change | Outcome: improved functional ability within existing systems |
As general statements, these descriptions cannot fully capture the strengths and limits of either paradigm. However, they illustrate that how we think about an issue affects its outcome. Independent living philosophy is therefore focused on developing self-advocates who feel empowered to self-direct their own services and to affect change in the community through advocacy, education, and peer support.
