Independent Living:
Ideology & definitions
Possibilities of Independent Living of
persons with disabilities in Africa
by Felix Silwimba
by Sonny Kleinfield. This is a reprint of an old article in "Psychology today", for a flavor of the original CIL, Center for Independent Living.
History of the Independent Living Movement
Power to the people
by April D'Aubin
ENIL is the umbrella of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting Independent Living among persons with disabilities and the general public in Europe.
The website for ENIL is now at https://enil.eu/
This page is from 1999.
Independent Living is a philosophy and a movement of people with disabilities who work for equal opportunities, self-respect and self-determination.
In 1961, German-born teenager Adolf Ratzka was paralyzed by polio. He seemed destined to spend his life in institutions, but at 22 won a scholarship to study in California. The U.S. was then the only country with Photograph of Dr. Adolf Ratzka together with daughter, Katharina.facilities, such as a personal assistant and a car that could be driven by wheelchair-bound people, enabling severely disabled persons to pursue normal academic study.
Personal accounts
What is your personal definition of Independent Living?
It is the ability to live independently and productively in the community and to live with the same freedom of choice as a non-disabled person. So it's not that you are living on your own but that you control where you live and have the same range of choices as a non-disabled person. (Jill Weiss)