Category: Let's talk
THe name says it all. I have best friend who got married at age 19. She did it for the wrong reasons and is having some becoming independent issues.
I think independence means that the person doesn't necessarily depend on themselves for everything, but has the self advocacy skills to ask others for assistance if necessary, and is basically just willin to reach out when they want something.
Yeah. I think independence is hwen you can try to do as much as possible for yourself, but also know when to ask for help when you need it. To me, it is also OK to accept help sometimes even if you can do that thing for yourself, since you know that you can do it with or without the help anyway. I think even if someone tends to ask for or need help with everything, that that can be a form of independence since they are communicating with others, but if possible, that person should be willing to learn to do as much as they can for themselves. This doesn't mean they can't accept help at times of course, but yeah.
The reason I bring that last part up, is because I'm looking at people in gereral. It's that I have an uncle with Down syndrome, and even though he lives with my grandma and can't live totally alone, I still consider him independent since he can cook, cleans up his own room, and come down the block to visit, spend time with each of us, and participate in whatever we're doing, whether it's cleaning up, playing a card game or stuff like that. Even if someone couldn't physically do things on their own or didn't communicate in usual ways like speech or signing, just the fact that they could comunicate and make a decision for themselves could be a form of independence.
My wife who is sighted and I get into this discussion on occasion. I work in a comprehensive rehabilitation center for people with all kinds of disabilities. As I see more people, I've come to believe independence is really an individual thing. Having said that, the best definition I can come up with is that an "independent" person has multiple support systems so that if one system breaks down, he/she has an alternative way of getting a task done, such as multiple readers, using the busses or taxicabs, paying a bill on-line or over the phone, etc.
I agree but far too much emphasis is still placed on what the person cant actually do alone. The deaf lad that we have taken in is very able, and intelligent. However is he incapable of going out independently for a wander round town, in a place, where violent crime has rocketed, far too many would say so
Goblin, you raise a rally good point. I was just having an e-mail exchange with a friend of mine about this very issue. Safety and common sense in knowing what one does and where one goes are relevant considerations. Asking for help is using inteligence, because safety is so important.
independence to my mind is being able to cope in a veriety of situations, having multiple support mechinisms so if one fails you have the others to fall back on. Independance is also maintaining those mechinisms so they are always ready to be used. Independence is also the ability to make one's own choices as and when one wishes, such as being able to go somewhere when you want to. for example, I have a voluntary job working with horses, and due to the location of the place at which I work, I've had to take taxcotaxi cabs rather than busses. this is more expencive but less stressful and impractical than a bus. I have made that independent choice to spend, what some would call unnecessary money to get to a job which I love. some ppl say I shouldn't have to pay as much as I do to do a voluntary job, but when I've tried getting paid work using the regular government channels and failed becauseemployers don't want you, even with the so called help these schemes give, I have approached a riding stable I used to work for on an informal voluntary basis, and now I help them by grooming their horses on a formal voluntary basis, if you see what I mean. I treat this as I would a paid job, as I feel this is my work, although I do not get paid for it yet. I say yet because there's always a chance I could get paid for this work if I get the qualifications, for that read bits of paper, needed to certify I can groom a horse safely etc. lastly, independence is a state of mind. I must say that despite the costs of transport, since I got the voluntary job at the riding stable, I've been happier in myself than I have for a long time.thanks for reading.
I agree and far too many deaf people are treated as if they are mentally disabled, the problem is that Glasgow is dangerous full stop. However Connor was homeless and survived perfectly well, so there is no question over his intelligence,just his ability to make himself heard should he really need help...it's off topic.. far too few people are willing to come forward when an individual is being attacked, even when the victim is disabled.
On the question of public transport versus convenience.E.G In Scotland a wheelchair user can wait for 2 hours or more for an accessible bus, which will probably be full of drunken thugs, looking for some poor sap to stab. So I see nothing wrong in taking taxis if I have to go somewhere out of town. I do think however, that disabled people ect, should be reimbursed by the bus company, as the cost of travelling by taxi is considerable.
I totally agree with Motifated.
Troy
Wow... I'm blessed to live in a fairly safe city with buses and transit trains that go nearly everywhere, even if it takes forever. I like being able to take a bus (or cab if absolutely encessary), but I love walking. I decided just yesterday to walk back from the post office rather than taking the bus for those five or six blocks. More than once I thought I'd gotten lost, but when the bus pulled up beside me, I asked him where I was and I was right where I needed to be. Great feeling!
Agreed, CM! I find that the walk vs. the ride is god for me. Helps clear my head some days. When I leave work, I can wait 15 minutes for a bus, or walk to the bus stop where I'd have to transfer in about 5 minutes.
Oh jeez, this topic gets me.
Post 2 is quite accurate and so I agree with its contents.