The Center for Independent Living started in 1973 with three severely disabled young men, living in California. These three men lived in nursing homes or with their families. They asked that they be provided with accessible housing and attendant care in order to attend the University of California. The movement of these three men founded the Center for Independent Living at Berkeley and began the independent living movement. Returning Vietnam veterans and people with other disabilities who expected to attend college, work, and live in their communities allowed this movement to gain momentum.
In San Francisco a total of 50 retired Vietnam veterans and disabled people sat in the Health, Education and Welfare offices in 1997. This was in order to enforce implementation of Section 504 regulations guaranteeing them equal access for federally funded programs. Finally in 1979, Centers for Independent Living began receiving federal funds. Since then, independent living has snowballed. There are now over 400 centers nationwide operating a multitude of different programs from varied funding sources.
For many people independent living means being able to physically care for oneself and living on one’s own. However, independent living is not defined strictly in terms of physical self-sufficiency or living situation. The main element is that the disabled person (not family, friends, or professionals) exercise control and make choices. Independent living implies responsibility on the part of the disabled person to assume control of his or her life and to make choices and take actions. These actions result in desired changes in their lives.
A person who is severely disabled may require support services. Some of these support services include attendant care, housing, transportation, etc. This allows them to live independently in a community instead of being dependant on a friend, family member or in nursing homes. In this case, independent living becomes a service delivery system. Centers for independent living were created in order to identify, create, and improve these services. These services were also to promote access and attitudes in the community favorable to independent living.
The Center for Independent Living believes in many things such as equal access to programs, services, and employment, enforcement of civil rights, equal opportunities and responsibility, and most of all, all people are valued. Without the three men from California, who started the independent living movement, these beliefs would not be carried out today. Independent living is possible for many people thanks to these three men.