Independent Living Movement

A disability rights movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s advocating for disabled people's right to live independently in the community, make their own choices, and participate fully in society on a par with nondisabled peers. The movement organized protests, including the longest occupation of a federal building in US history, and contributed to landmark legislation including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Olmstead Decision of 1999. The IL Movement frames independence not as performing tasks without assistance, but as having control over one's own life decisions and access to community-based supports.