Independent Living

Independent living has been defined as:

1.  A living arrangement that maximizes independence and self-determination, especially for a person with a disability living in a community instead of in a medical facility

2.  A social movement that asserts that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights and life choices as people without disabilities.        

Support Needs for Independent Living:

The supports needed by a person with disabilities in the area of independent living will vary from person to person and community to community.  However, support needs can be organized around housing options, transportation, social and recreational activities, shopping and financial management, health and safety and self-determination.

Secondary Level:

Independent Living Skills Curricula:  There are many commercially produced products that will assist with the education of students with disabilities in the areas of shopping and financial management, health and safety, self-determination, and accessing and using public transportation, social, and recreational facilities.  The most frequently used curricula materials in the State of Florida are:

Life Centered Community Education (LCCE):  "Life Centered Career Education (LCCE), Revised Edition", is a comprehensive functional curriculum based on classroom, home, and community environments and is useful for elementary school through high school, including general education students; students with learning disabilities; students with mild mental disabilities; and students at risk.
http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ProfessionalDevelopment/ProfessionalTraining/LCCE/

Targeted Life Skills Curriculum:  The Targeted LIFE Skills Curriculum was aligned with both the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the Florida Department of Education's Sunshine State Standards and State Standards for Special Diploma, 2004.  This curriculum is useful for elementary school through high school, including students with intellectual disabilities.
http://stetsonassociates.com/Products.htm

Money Smart for Young Adults – A Financial Education Program:  The FDIC’s Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum helps youth ages 12-20 learn the basics of handling their money and finances, including how to create positive relationships with financial institutions. Equipping young people in their formative years with the basics of financial education can give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to manage their finances once they enter the real world.
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/young.html

The Transitions Curriculum:  This three-volume curriculum was extensively field-tested in California. It includes 300 teacher-developed and tested lessons, complete with 1500 sequenced "real life" objectives, exciting hands-on student activities, and 600 reproducible student worksheets and student self-assessments every five units. The product was designed with flexibility in mind -- instruction can be undertaken with individual units in a two-week period or expanded for a full two-year program.
http://www.stanfield.com/sch2wk-3.html

Health and Safety:  Two of the curricula listed above also include sections on health and safety.  Some of the topics included are:

• Emergency Preparation
• Fire Safety
• First Aid
• Food Storage
• Nutrition
• Personal hygiene

In addition, information regarding health care and use of medications can be found at the State of Florida Department of Health website, http://www.doh.state.fl.us.  This site also provides contact information for each of Florida’s school districts.  Another beneficial website for adolescents with disabilities is Children’s Medical Services, http://www.cms-kids.com.  This website contains information pertinent to adolescents transitioning from the pediatric child care system to the adult medical system.

Self-Determination:  The possession of self-determination skills is an integral part of the ability of a person with disabilities to have any level of independent living.  The Project 10 Transition Wheel topic dealing with Self-Determination will provide more information.

Postsecondary Level

Housing Options:   The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) (http://www.apd.myflorida.com/customers/living/about.htm) provides eligible consumers with varying levels of supported living.  Supported living with personal control means that persons with disabilities not only determine where they want to live, but with whom they want to live, and who enters their home for whatever reason.

Transportation:  The Florida Department of Transportation has established a Transportation Disadvantaged Commission which provides low cost transportation to persons with disabilities in every county in the State of Florida (http://www.dot.state.fl.us/ctd/contacts/ctcsbycounty.htm).  Access to transportation is a critical component of all areas (work, continuing education, recreation/leisure, shopping, health care) of independent living.

Rights and Responsibilities:  Independent Living Centers are typically non-residential, private, non-profit, consumer-controlled, community-based organizations providing services and advocacy by and for persons with all types of disabilities. Their goal is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential within their families and communities.

Also, Independent Living Centers serve as a strong advocacy voice on a wide range of national, state and local issues. They work to assure physical and programmatic access to housing, employment, transportation, communities, recreational facilities, and health and social services. Information regarding Independent Living Centers in Florida may be found at: http://www.flailc.org/contact_list.htm

Social and Recreational Activities:  Paul Wehman, in his book Life Beyond the Classroom, has given the following guidelines for helping persons with disabilities develop leisure activities of their own choosing:

• Persons with disabilities should experiment with different types of recreational pursuits and social events in order to develop preferences
• Leisure activities should include an array of both solitary and group activities
• Adapted equipment or rules can be used as leisure supports for people with disabilities to participate in activities with non-disabled peers
• Persons with disabilities may choose to participate in segregated activities; however, this should not be their only choice.

The following is a list of organizations that offer social and recreational programs for persons/students with disabilities while in a secondary or postsecondary setting:

Best Buddies
http://www.bestbuddies.org
Best Buddies is determined to end the social isolation of people with intellectual disabilities by establishing meaningful, lasting one-to-one friendships with their peers without intellectual disabilities. Programs are available a the middle school, high school, college, civic and corporate levels including e-Buddies®, an e-mail pen-pal program.

Special Olympics
http://www.specialolympicsflorida.org 
Special Olympics is a global agent for giving voice, dignity and significance to one of the world’s largest, yet most disenfranchised populations.  Through involvement, through support, through understanding, people with and without developmental disabilities can create a world of inclusion and acceptance.

Florida Disabled Outdoor Association
http://www.fdoa.org
Florida Disabled Outdoors Association enriches lives through accessible, inclusive recreation and active leisure for all within the state of Florida.

Little League Baseball – Challenger Division
http://www.littleleague.org
The Challenger Division was established as a separate division of Little League Baseball to enable boys and girls with physical and mental disabilities, ages 5 through 18 or the completion of high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide.

YMCA
http://www.ymca.net
YMCAs are committed to helping:

• Children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn
• Families build stronger bonds, spend time together and become more engaged with their communities
• Individuals strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being

Florida State Park
http://www.floridastateparks.org 
The Division of Recreation and Parks will ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, that all people, including persons with disabilities, receive the same program and activity opportunities.

North American Riding for Handicapped Association (NARHA)
http://www.narha.org 
NARHA’s mission is to "change and enrich lives by promoting excellence in equine assisted activities." To accomplish this mission, NARHA fosters safe, professional, ethical and therapeutic equine activities through education, communication, research and standards.

Resource:

Wehman, P. (1996). Life Beyond the classroom, transition strategies for young people with disabilities. (2^nd Ed.).  Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.