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What is Independent Living? Does it mean the same thing to all persons? Independent Living is open to a variety of interpretations: for one person with a disability it might mean living on one’s own terms, for another it might include the opportunity to earn a living through gainful employment, and for yet another person, it might mean physical access to buildings and services. For me, as a person with a disability, Independent Living means living life to the fullest, and being allowed to form may own opinions about the people and circumstances I come up against on a daily basis. Let me explain:

I live in Pune, a city on the western seaboard of India. It is the Headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, and the site of the National Defence Academy. It is a university town, a metropolis of more than 2 million people. The climate is good for most of the year, and the people are active on issues of social policy. Yet, there is a ‘Pity model’ or restricted way of looking at people with disability is incapable of doing anything creative or intellectually stimulating. Traditionally, a person with a disability, say a visual impairment, should live his or her life dependent on the charity of others, or work as a telephone operator, or if talented musically, become a musician. Again, a woman with a physical disability is expected to work as a telephone operator, a seamstress, or a knitter.

I have muscular dystrophy, so when I stopped walking in 1999, I was advised to do some sort of non–creative, home–based job. This was not what I wanted for myself, so I worked hard to learn about computers, web design and programming. I started my own business, taking advantage of the rise of the dot.com industry. After the fall of this same industry, as the eternal optimist, I reset my goals, and now work in communications and time management training. I also run a cross disability non–profit organization.

Read more: Article on Disability by Win V. Pathak