Why the term “independence” is so frequently mentioned by the advocates?

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Thank you for your sharing.

From my perspective, the different understandings of "independence" relates to the key points that differentiate disability right advocates from traditional rehabilitation professionals. The emphasis of medical and rehabilitation professionals was almost exclusively on physical independence rather than social independence. The former is independence from devices or attendants, while the latter is the ability to be fully involved in planning one's treatment and care. When these two values are at odds, gains in physical independence are rarely worth the losses in social independence.