Independent Living is about human rights. Disabled people have these rights too but all too often their rights are taken away or watered down.
From what to eat to where to live, life is all about making decisions - being able to choose what you want to do and how, where and when you want to do it are things that non-disabled people often take for granted. But as a disabled person, the right to control your own life is more often than not denied.
The definition of independent living developed by disabled people and adopted by the ILiS project is:
Independent living means all disabled people having the same freedom, choice, dignity and control as other citizens at home, a work and in the community. It does not necessarily mean living by yourself or fending for yourself. It means rights to practical assistance and support to participate in society and live an ordinary life.
Independent Living is a philosophy developed by disabled people. These are disabled people who campaign for self-determination, equal opportunities and full participation in society as equal citizens. The philosophy has come from their own experience of discrimination, of being isolated from the rest of society and because of the second-rate services they receive. A key reason why services are second-rate is simply that disabled people have had little or no say in shaping these services.
Independent living is not just about the social care you receive in your home, it covers everything to do with a person's life, including:
The report called Ready for Actiion gives you more detail about all these elements.
"In our communities, disability is seen as a charity issue. You are not seen as a person who can have a life, get a job, live independently. This is very much against our human rights. There is a huge need for awareness work in our countries."
Maria Veronica Reina, researcher with mobility impairment (Argentina).
As well as defining what independent living means, disabled people have identified a number of entitlements, which, if met, would enable disabled people to participate fully and equally in society.
You can read about other disabled people's experiences at the Voices of disabled people section of this website. You can use the case-studies you find there as part your activities towards building the Independent Living Movement and taking action for independent living.
Tell us about your experiences.
This website is here to tell you what independent living is, and to inspire and support disabled people to be part of the Independent Living Movement in Scotland so that independent living becomes reality for all disabled people.
The ILIS project is not able to help you with your individual enquiries about where and how to get support, such as from local authorities or other services. However we thought it would be helpful to offer some signposts to some sources of support available in Scotland.
Click here to access our useful links page.