Why is it important for disabled people to be as independent as they can?

Answer 1

As a person with a disability--thanks for the question. I wish more people would ask it--they might learn something. But, as the other answers you've gotten graphically illustrate, you need to be asking people with disabilities--because you'll get an entirely different answer from the self-serving mush I just read--not that I haven't heard it before.

People with disabilities happen to have an impairment--but are people--with the same needs and wants as anyone else. We are as capable--the majority-of functioning independantly as anyone else. The cheif limitation for mmost is not the impairment, but the social world which creates barriers.

"Independance" is NOT about "being able to take care of yourself so someone else won't have too" If that was the point, my answer would be that theis society can damn well take care of us unless and until they stop discriminating against us. But that is not wat its about.

Independance means being able to live--and participate--in all of society's activities with the same rights and dignity as everyone else. It means not being treated as a second-class citizen--to not being confined to institutions for the ccrime of being different.

Being independant means a deaf person who doesn't get hassled by ignorant cops too stupid to know the difference between the speech patterns of the hearing-impaired and those of drunks. It means abeing able to roll a chair into a store without being subject to the indignity of having to wait for someone to open a door for you. It means being able to ask for a Braille menu in a restaurant instead of the poor waitress having to stop and read it too you.

Independance does not mean "learning to take care of ourselves." We can do that. It means NOT teaching people with disabilities to be dependant--and it means getting out of our way and allowing us to be full human beings.

Answer 2

I agree - at some point a disabled person is going to have to function in the world on their own, unless they are severely disabled and institutionalized. Many parents are the primary caregivers for the disabled and they are not always going to be there for them.

Also, I think for the most part, disabled people want to be independent and function as normally as possible. No one likes to have to depend on someone else for everything, not even the mentally or physically challenged.

Answer 3

Also look at the practical side. An independent disabled person probably costs society much less than an dependent person. So the money that is invested in aids, accomodations, and special education will pay off - in many ways - in future years. It's better for the person with the disability - and it's better for everybody.

Answer 4

For the exact same reason it is important for non-disabled people to be as independant as they can.

Answer 5

It is important for disabled people to be as independent as they can be so that they may experience being normal people too and that they could enhance and develop their self-help skills and make use of them to make them more productive and that they could work by themselves with less supervision. In this manner, they are helping too their other family members in their little own way.

Answer 6

so that they can function as normal people in the society. they will not depend on other peoople as posible. and try to live an normal life.

Answer 7

so that they may lead a full and active life to the best of their ability, to enhance quality of life,

Answer 8

well i would think to keep there limbs also there mind working as well as they can.plus they would just get worse if they sat around doing nothing

Answer 9

because they need to be able to look after themselves
when their main care giver is no longer around

Answer 10

Because help is not always there.