Malaysia Independent Living Association for Disabled
(MILAD)

We believe that our vision above can become a reality through the principles of Independent Living. Independent Living is a philosophy, a way of looking at society and disability, and a movement of disabled people working for equal opportunities, self-determination, and self-respect and full inclusion and participation in the community. Independent Living movement is evolved through self organisation of the disabled people. By this collective actions, solutions to individually experienced barriers are developed. The movement recognises that many disabled people will not manage to achieve independence on their own as the system we live in puts too many obstacles in the way.

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The Independent Living Model sees the problem differently and understands disability as a specific form of social oppression. A distinction is made between “impairment” – the condition of body or mind, and “disability” – the social restrictions experienced. In this Model, the problem lies in the environment, not the individual. Though many people have physical, intellectual, or mental attributes that deviate from the ‘norm,’ disability is manifested in society through purposefully created and maintained physical, environmental, programmatic, and attitudinal barriers.

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In understanding the Independent Living philosophy, we recognise that disability must be tackled holistically. All aspects of exclusion must be addressed. Using the Independent Living Model, the following basic needs are identified:

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• Information – to know what one’s options are

• Peer Support – encouragement and guidance from other disabled people

• Personal Assistance – human help with everyday tasks

• Equipment – technical aids to reduce unnecessary dependence on others

• Housing – a suitable place to live

• Transport – to get where one needs to be

• Access to the Environment – to go where everyone else does

• Advocacy – to get public support for or recommendation of their cause

• Awareness – to change the perspective on disability and people with disability

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The Independent Living approach does not suggest that a person needs rehabilitation in order to exist in an inaccessible world. It says that the world needs adapting in order to accommodate the disabled people. By this approach, with “problems” of disability and the needs identified, it is important for us to play the supportive role in assisting the disabled people to live independently by solving the “problems” and providing for the appropriate basic needs.

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Our first Independent Living Centre (ILC), also the first one in Malaysia, provides an infrastructure of support, advice and information which could promote further Independent Living initiatives. Our ILC will also provide, inter alia, Personal Assistant Services which is an essential  factor of Independent Living, which itself encompasses the whole area of human activities, eg. housing, transport, access, education, employment, etc.