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    Understanding Yourself

    As you become an adult, you gain more and more opportunities and responsibilities. Between school, work, relationships, and social activities, you probably wonder how to juggle everything. As you deal with these issues, you also have to reflect on your disability, what it means to you, and how you manage it in day-to-day life.

    Here is a worksheet you can fill out to help you start to think about how you think about your disability and how your disability fits into to your life.

    Disability worksheet

    Think about these questions. You may want to discuss them with a family member or a mentor.

    How do I feel about being a person with a disability?

    Do I feel comfortable talking about my disability with others?

    Do I think that having a disability is something to be proud of?

    Whom in my life can I trust when I need to talk about my disability?

    What are some aspects of living with a disability that I struggle with? What resources are out there to help me through those struggles?

    What are some activities that I want to do that I think I cannot do? Is there another way of doing the activity that would work for me?

    What kinds of accommodations do I need to allow me to do the things I want to do at school? At a job?

    What are some things I can do that my friends cannot do?

    You can download this document and print it so you can fill it out.

    It’s natural to feel uncomfortable with your disability or unsure about whom to talk to about it. As you read this article, we’ll try to give you information and resources that can help you feel more comfortable and confident and will help you find people who can support you.

    The medical model and the social model

    Our perceptions of disability are shaped by the portrayals and reactions to disability in our society. Traditionally, people have thought about disability as a medical issue. The “medical model” looks at your disability as though it is a medical condition that must be cured. If you have a disability, you need to be “fixed.”

    However, the disability rights movement has changed that perspective during the last 50 years, proposing that disability be viewed as a social issue. The “social model” says that the problem is not your disability, but the way society views people with disabilities. In the social model, disability is a natural part of the human experience; it’s a normal part of life.

    Thinking about disability in this new way may help you realize that you don’t need to be fixed. You can live with your disability and be successful. What you need is to find ways of getting a job, getting a higher education, and pursuing your dreams.

    Making Decisions for Yourself

    In the past, a lot of people with disabilities were considered “burdens” for their families. People with disabilities couldn’t get jobs, many were sent to institutions where they couldn’t go out and do things, or they were simply ignored.

    However, that’s changed. Today, many people with disabilities succeed at school and at their jobs. You can too. Just like your friends without disabilities, as you become an adult you need to make decisions and start planning so that you can succeed. Making your own choices about what you want to do is your first step toward leading an independent life.

    Independent Living

    For you, independent living could mean many different things. It could mean moving out of your parent’s home and going to college. Or it could mean getting a job and moving into your own apartment. Or it could mean staying at home while learning more independent living skills and earning money so that you can move out on your own one day. The biggest thing independence means is that you decide where you want to go in life.

    Independent living does not mean you have to know all the answers or do everything by yourself; it means you need to learn how to find resources that can help you reach your goals. You also need to learn to be in charge of how you use these resources.

    If you don’t have clear goals yet, you’ll need to think about what you really want to do. Then, you need to set goals and learn about the steps and support necessary to achieve them.

    Use Your Independent Living Center!

    Independent living may sound intimidating, but there are many people with disabilities who have gone through situations similar to yours. They have created groups called “independent living centers” that provide information and support that can help you think about the decisions and opportunities facing you.

    Independent living centers are one of the most important resources that can help you. Your local independent living center has information about all aspects of living with a disability, including housing, transportation, personal attendant services, employment, education, and benefits. Many independent living centers also have programs designed for young people, like peer groups and volunteer and internship opportunities. The Statewide Independent Living Council of Alaska has a website where you can find an Independent Living Center near you.

    Ed Roberts and the Independent Living Movement

    Nowadays, people with disabilities live in their own homes, graduate from college, work at good jobs, get married, and have children. In large part, this is thanks to laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.

    But this did not happen overnight. People with disabilities didn’t used to have the opportunities and legal protections they have today. It took a movement led by young people with disabilities to change society’s perceptions.

    Ed Roberts was a young man with a disability who became a leader and changed the world. As a child he contracted polio, a common disease in the 1950s. As a result, he had to use a wheelchair. He also spent a lot of time in an iron lung, a machine that helped him breathe. Despite these challenges, Ed excelled in school and dreamed of attending the University of California at Berkeley for college. However, when he applied to the university he was told that because of his disability the university did not want him there. Ed fought this and won, gaining admission to the university.

    When Ed saw how inaccessible the university was to students with disabilities he decided to change things. He and a few other students in wheelchairs formed a group called The Rolling Quads and created the very first disabled student services program on a college campus. Today almost every college and university in the country has a disabled student services program that helps students with things like personal care attendant referral, in-class accommodations, and accessible housing. In 1972, Ed Roberts and others founded the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, the first Independent Living Center in the country. Today there are independent living centers around the world, including in Alaska.

    Choosing to Work

    Many people with disabilities are successful in jobs that they enjoy doing. With the right training, preparation, and workplace accommodations, you can find work that lets you earn your own money and lead a financially independent life. Your local Independent Living Center can help you.

    The Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) can also help you prepare for, find, and keep a job. To be eligible, you must have a physical or mental disability that makes it difficult for you to prepare for, get, or keep work.

    The Alaska Job Center network can also help you find a job and plan for your career. Find a local Alaska Job Center.

    Learn more

    Benefits for Young People

    Find out how benefits support young people who work.

    Getting a Higher Education

    Learn about education options, your rights, ways to pay for school, and more.

    Finding a Job

    Get ideas on how to find work.