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Independent Living History

The birth of the independent living movement has been attributed to a group of students at U.C. Berkeley with disabilities. In 1962, the first severely disabled student was admitted to U.C. Berkeley. By 1969, there were twelve severely disabled students. The medical surroundings were familiar to the new tenants, who had spent countless days and nights in custodial institutions.

A sense of unity and self-confidence developed as the residents lived in close, continuing contact with each other. As they became more aware of the degree to which control over their lives had been taken over by medical and rehabilitation professionals, the students drew on their own experience to develop a philosophy of independent living. The guiding principles of this philosophy were:

  • Those who know best the needs of disabled people and how to meet those needs are the disabled people themselves.
  • The needs of the disabled can be met most effectively by comprehensive programs that advocate for the rights and needs of people with disabilities and provide a variety of supportive services.
  • Disabled people should be integrated as fully as possible into their community.

The results of some of the efforts of these advocates, and those who followed, include:

  • The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which first authorized independent living centers and programs, was signed into law.
  • Many advocates consider Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the nucleus of all ensuing progress in obtaining disability rights. Section 504 stated: No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Four years after The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was signed into law, the regulations for implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act were signed.
  • The American with Disabilities Act was signed into law.

(Excerpts taken from "Independent Living Centers - 30 Years Later" by Tony Sauer)