Journey to Independence

     Being able to stand up for ourselves and gain some sense of independence can be very difficult, especially for those of us with disabilities. Personal care issues, living arrangements, limited income, or a combination of these can all be reasons for not being able to obtain full independence.
     When I’ve talked to friends on Facebook about their experiences on this issue, some said that their parents, for whatever reason were unwilling to teach them how to do things such as cooking, cleaning and laundry. This has got to be very frustrating for someone who is willing and capable of doing at least some of these household chores on their own. This is not doing them any favors. Being able to do at least some things independently allows us to feel some sense of accomplishment and pride.
    
     In my case, I was unable to live on my own mainly because of insufficient income. Although I was unable to live independently, my parents taught me how to be as independent as possible.  I was taught how to manage my personal needs independently. My father taught me how to fix certain things and how to do basic household maintenance, while my mom taught me how to cook, do laundry, AND although I don’t like to do it, she also taught how to CLEAN. J L Lol.
                       
     Another example of how to gain independence is being able to stick up for yourself. A young man who I am friends with on Facebook is living in a nursing home due to circumstances out of his control. He told me how much he HATES living there. Seriously, who wouldn’t? In a nursing home, your ability to be independent is basically non-existent.  You are expected to get up at a certain time, eat at a certain time and in some cases you receive therapies. I won’t even go there about how difficult it is to sleep in those places. UGH!

     I asked if he had ever thought about talking to the social worker where he lives about assisted living facilities in his area. I thought that might be a better living arrangement for someone his age and level of ability and desire for independence. To help him out, I looked online and found places near him that offered more independent living arrangements.

     Standing up for yourself can be difficult, especially when it comes to your parents or other close family members or caregivers. You don’t want to seem unappreciative, but you want to be given the chance to prove you can do things for yourself. Do your homework. Find information to back up what you want to say and do. But most importantly, know that this is not going to be easy on anyone. You want your independence, but your parents will most likely be apprehensive because they want to protect you and take care of you. Here are a few links to get you started. J

Housing – http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/disabilities/inhousing

Schooling- http://www.bing.com/search?q:vocational+rehabilitation+services&qs=AS&pq=vocational+rehab&sc=8-16&sp=1&cvid=487D850E87F4D5AB2048A43FC65A378&form+QBRE

IEPs, 504 plan-
http://understandingspecialeducation.com/

Americans with Disabilities Act

http://www.ada.gov