| Most people enjoy living independently. This does not | | | | overcome. There are many different types of home |
| necessarily mean living alone, but really just involves | | | | mobility products available to help those who are |
| taking care of yourself and your life. For people who | | | | disabled live freely. |
| are disabled Independent Living is more than just a cool | | | | Many attribute the beginning of the Independent Living |
| catch phrase. It is a philosophy that those who are | | | | movement to a man named Ed Roberts. Ed Roberts |
| disabled have taken to heart and embraced. This is | | | | founded the Center for Independent Living in 1972. He |
| because it can restore a feeling of self-worth and | | | | was a long time campaigner and activist for those |
| confidence. It shows a real amount of | | | | who are disabled. He attended Berkley College and |
| self-determination as well, because it can be both | | | | was the first student to attend this college that was |
| scary and cumbersome. | | | | seriously disabled. |
| In terms of people with disabilities, the philosophy of | | | | Roberts contracted polio when he was a child, and he |
| independent living is based off of the idea that those | | | | spent much of his life in an iron lung. He did not give up |
| that are disabled have the best idea of exactly what | | | | though and had a very strong support system in his |
| their needs are. This means that they hold the keys to | | | | mother. They successfully campaigned to have the |
| their own happiness and must take the initiative to | | | | physical education and driving requirement waved so |
| better their life. In no way does this mean that they are | | | | he could graduate high school. |
| shunning outside help or assistance, or even that they | | | | He continued to push to be accepted for what he |
| do not need it, but instead means that they want to | | | | was, a very intelligent human, but had to overcome |
| have the same opportunities that other non-disabled | | | | centuries of pre-conceived notions about those who |
| people have. It does however involve a return of | | | | are disabled. In order to gain admission to Berkley he |
| control to their life. This philosophy breaks away from | | | | had to sue the California Department of Vocational |
| the traditional answer to people with disabilities, which | | | | Rehabilitation and fight the school every step of the |
| for the most part involved institutionalizing them. | | | | way. The Dean of Berkley is noted as saying "We've |
| For those that are disabled there are several barriers | | | | tried cripples before and it didn't work." |
| to living independently. The most obvious of barriers is | | | | After he was accepted he was housed in the |
| of course the physical one. This involves things like not | | | | infirmary because that was the only room that could |
| being able to move around freely, taking a bath, and | | | | support his iron lung. Other people with disabilities, who |
| going to the grocery store. These may seem like | | | | were also housed in the infirmary, began enrolling in |
| simple tasks, but if you are disabled then they can be | | | | Berkley and together with Roberts, they fought to gain |
| very hard. Another barrier is the assumptions that | | | | acceptance at the school and in the United States. |
| non-disabled people put on those who are disabled. | | | | Roberts spearheaded movements to make the area |
| Our World has greatly progressed though, but many | | | | accessible to those who are disabled and lobbied the |
| people still view those who are disabled as unable to | | | | school to create a disabled students program. It was |
| care for themselves. This is not fair or morally right, | | | | not easy and he had to overcome many prejudices. |
| however, because everyone should have the right to | | | | These experiences drove Roberts to found the |
| determine their day to day choices. | | | | Center for Independent Living and he has helped many |
| The emotional and mental barriers of disability can be | | | | people across the World. Part of the philosophy of the |
| hard to overcome. This is in large part because many | | | | Center for Independent Living involves having peers |
| people lack compassion and acceptance towards | | | | teach their peers, instead of relying on people who |
| those who are different. On the other hand, the | | | | have never had to deal with disabilities. |
| physical barriers are in today's age much easier to | | | | |