Independent Living Alternatives (ILA) was established in May 1989 to promote the
right of disabled people to live independently.
· ILA is an organisation of disabled people providing
a comprehensive range of personal assistance services
· ILA aims to enable people who need personal
assistance, to be able to live independently in the community and take full control of their lives and thereby have individuality
and spontaneity
· ILA provides personal assistance either by providing personal
assistants or by enabling individuals to employ their own personal assistants
·
ILA establishes
the necessary personal assistance as a direct part of an individual’s life to enable disabled people to have direct
control over their own lives
Disabled people have an inalienable right to independent living.
It is often not understood what this means: It is about having more than an accessible environment and basic physical needs
provided for; it is about a right to live spontaneously; a right to go to the toilet when you want to; a right to go to work
or to study where and when you want to; a right to economic equality; a right to leisure; a right to express your sexuality;
a right to determine your own lifestyle; a right to develop hopes and aspirations; a right to be accepted as a full and active
member of the community; a right to positively promote our difference as disabled people, but not to have to think of the
consequences every hour of the day. In essence, independent living is a misnomer: as disabled people we should be able to
just think about living as anybody else.
Dave W Morris-Founding Director
