Hi
Harvey was looking for definitions of independent living. These are two that
I like and have used in quotations myself...
'Life is more than just a house and getting up and going to bed. Independent
Living is about the whole of life and it encompasses everything. We want
equal opportunities. We want citizenship. These are the issues that drive
the independent living movement. It is philosophical, it is political, it is
about integration and disabled people becoming a part of this world and not
separate, segregated and second class. That is what we are actually after
and that is why independent living is so important.'
John Evans (BCODP Independent Living Committee and Hampshire CIL)
(1993) 'The Role of Centres of Independent/Integrated Living', in Barnes, C.
(ed.) (1993) Making Our Own Choices: independent living, personal assistance
and disabled people, Clay Cross, BCODP
'Independent Living means that we demand the same choices and control in our
every-day 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. To this end we need to support and learn from each
other, organize ourselves and work for political changes that lead to legal
protection of our human and civil rights.'
Adolf Ratzka (1997) Independent Living and Our Organizations, paper
presented to the ‘Our Common World’ conference, organised by Disability
Rights Advocates Hungary, Siofok, May 9-11 1997.
Best Wishes
Mark Priestley
Centre for Disability Studies
University of Leeds
LEEDS
LS2 9JT
UK
tel: +44 113 343 4417
fax: +44 113 343 4415
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies
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