What does the right to live independently mean?

The right to live independently means the right to choose how you live, where you live, with whom you live, and to what degree you wish to interact with your community. It also means having access to any support you might need to realize those choices and to achieve an adequate standard of living.

A critical component of the right to live independently in a manner that respects inherent human dignity is the opportunity to make one’s own decisions and to have those decisions be respected and acted upon.

Many persons with disabilities have been denied this right, even with respect to the most basic of decisions, such as what to wear, eat or drink.

In some cases, national legislation has expressly barred persons with disabilities (especially persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities) from making their own decisions by depriving them of the legal capacity needed to do so.

In other instances, people have ignored the decisions of family members or friends with disabilities because they do not believe the person has the capacity to make “sensible” decisions.

According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD):

1. States to this Convention recognize the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others, and shall facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full inclusion and participation in the community, including by ensuring that:

   1. Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement;
   2. Persons with disabilities have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community;
   3. Community services and facilities for the general population are available on an equal basis to persons with disabilities and are responsive to their needs.

2. States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability.

3. States recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right, including measures:

   1. To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services, and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs;
   2. To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programs and poverty reduction programs;
   3. To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care;
   4. To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programs;
   5. To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programs.