A host of other services are available at ILCs, and they can vary depending on the needs of the people they are serving, and the resources available within the community. Potentially, there is a lot of help available for us if we avail ourselves. At the same time, we must understand we are a relatively new disability and that we must give centers the means to understand the challenges that face us. Independent living should not be defined in terms of living on one's own, being employed in a job fitting one's capabilities and interests, or having an active social life. These are aspects of living independently.
Independent living has to do with self-determination.
It is having the right and the opportunity to pursue a course of action. There are, of course, individuals who have certain mental impairments which may affect their abilities to make complicated decisions or pursue complex activities. For these individuals, independent living means having every opportunity to be as self-sufficient as possible. It isn't easy, and it can be risky. But millions of people with disabilities rate it higher than a life of dependency and narrow opportunities and unfulfilled expectations.