Don't you think that people with disabilties should be

Totally agree - no matter what the disability a person is still a person and deserve to have as much self-respect and freedom as they can possibly have. I worked with adults with mental disabilities for a time and was amazed at what a little independance could do for them - something as simple as picking out their own cloths or deciding what they wanted to eat.

yes, i do. I am sure not all diable persons want to be cared for 24/7 by someone they love or a caretaker. Especially if they are still 'able' to do some things on their own like speak, possibly walk, use both arms, legs, hands and or feet. It is important to be independent as long as one can be, because sooner than later, the government will take it all away from us.

YEs I think so for if they get dependent on someone else I think they go down faster

Being disabled and living on my own, I would say that independence is very important to me. While I do have to depend on my wife for many things, at least my past efforts do provide an income after having paid into SSA for 30 years and then will be getting my pension in a few years. My disability does not diminish my importance as an individual.

WHen you say on their own what do you mean exactly? We have many different residencies here in town that have apartments where they live together....they teach them how to cook....do laundry etc with their disabliity yet they have someone around all the time in case they need them. If you mean living by themselves in their own home or apartment? I think alot of them do....but it probably goes by their determination or independence level. And I think for some it might get a little lonely living all by themselves....I think it just depends ont he person and the disability.

I think that everyone should be encouraged to do all they can, whether they have disabilities or not. As a person with disabilities, I do all I can. I actually do more than my husband, except for being able to work for 8 or more straight hours. I'm more physically active than he is, even though I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, torn tendons, etc. It hurts me to walk for more than a few minutes at a time but I still refuse to use those motorized carts in the grocery store! I'll use a regular cart and lean on it when I have to, when my back starts screaming at me. My sister was born with muscular dystrophy but it wasn't diagnosed until she was 14 years old. Once it was diagnosed, my mother began doing everything for her, or she would have me do the chores my sister had been doing. She went downhill rather quickly after that. I tried to tell my mother that she could still do most things, at least when she was first diagnosed, but my mother refused to listen. Because of my mother's attitude, my sister's muscles wasted away much faster than they would have if she had kept as active as she was right before being diagnosed. I believe that being as independent as possible gives a person a sense of pride, not to mention it helps to keep their minds off of their disabilities and on more productive things. Of course, there are also people who have never been independent and wouldn't know how to handle it. It would depend on the individual and their ability to be independent. Even when my sister was in a nursing home, she was given the "job" of delivering mail to the other residents. She loved her job! She was always so proud when she talked about it. However small the independence is, it definitely helps to boost their self-esteem and keep them happier which, in turn, can keep them healthier.

I do believe they should be given every chance. I don't know that every one of them should live on their own, but alot of them could at least make it having a roommate.

Some people with disabilities can never live on their own, totally without staff. I do believe that people should be encouraged to do the best that they can with what they have, and live in the least restrictive environment available.

Hi there! Your opinion appears practical to me. Those who are visually or physically challanged should be provided with best possible facilities/equipments/support system so that they could live their lives easily. You are very right, if physically challanged persons could live independtly, nothing like that. They can even set few examples for 'abled bodied' persons.

I'd love to answer this post because I am a person living with disabilities and Yes I definately do think that we all need to care for ourselves for as long as we possibly can. Health care professionals should be hired to aid ONLY those who absolutely NEED the service. These are the reasons I think this way. #1 Health care workers are being overworked in a lot of cases and high stress positions. #2 The patient needs more than just a nurse or home care worker, we need our independance and a good reason to get up every morning. #3 People are born to be easily made into lazy people. Remember what it was like before you had a car? We walked everywhere then after we bought a set of wheels we drive two blocks to get the mail or to the store. People with disabilities need excercise and just dressing or moving the wheelchair ourselves is far better for our own good than waiting for a worker. #4 I think as long as we stay focased there's less chance of becoming depressed. Those are just my ideas and I hope this won't upset anyone, as I say this is jsut my own thoughts. I love my friends whether they wipe their own butts or not. I just choose to wipe my own because I fear one day I will no longer be able to do it. Take Care my friend.

Of course, we should not let them always depend on people who are normal. there are institution for them , to be skill ful even disabled. What I am talking about is there are local government that helps disabled people to have a job for them to earn and will not be depended to their family. But about living on their own, I think some of them either like it or dislike it, it depends on their disability, some are riding a wheelchair and can turn on the wheel for them to move, but some can't. So those who can't they are mostly depends on their family to help them. blind people should have company eventhough some of them are used to their situations. I think this is always depends.