Moving out on your own for the first time. Leaving a job. Getting out of an abusive relationship. Finishing a semester of school. Getting out of the hospital. Being released from prison. What do these have in common? They are all freedoms. Obviously, there are many different types of freedoms. Most people experience multiple freedoms in their everyday life. While most freedoms are taken for granted, others are more difficult to get. Whether you’ve fought a long hard battle to get a certain freedom or it was a simple action, the feeling of being free is often indescribable.

America recently celebrated its 250^th birthday. 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed which laid out a philosophical foundation that all people have natural rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It served as the official birth certificate for the United States. It had other political purposes as well, but it is important because it was what began to make this country one of the best options for freedom for people. The Fourth of July has turned into a national holiday filled with parades, fireworks, cookouts, and parties. Sometimes, as common in many holidays, the true meaning of the specific date gets overlooked or forgotten.

A simple Google search reveals that the definition of freedom is “the power or right to act, speak, and think without external hindrance, coercion, or restraint. It is the ability to make choices about your own life and pursue your own potential, while balancing personal autonomy with the well-being of the community.”  Think about that for a second. The ability to make your own choices and pursue your own potential. Those have always been important words for the disability community, but, especially nowadays when we again find ourselves fighting for our freedoms, they hit a little different.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law 36 years ago this month. It prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. While there have been great improvements in access over the years, there’s still ample opportunity for improvements. Over the past year or so, many people feel like instead of moving forward, things have taken drastic steps backwards. It seems like the current administration is doing everything it can to destroy the lives of Americans with disabilities. Between the devastating cuts to Medicaid, the dismantling of the education department, the changes to Food Share programs, the opinion released by the Department of Justice stating that states don’t have to provide community-based services, and this whole rhetoric that people with disabilities aren’t worthy of the services and supports that they need to be as successful as possible, it seems like we’re advocating for the basic freedoms and rights to survive.

When I think of the word freedom, I associate it with independence. Some people may not make that correlation, but I personally feel that, for me, my biggest freedom is being as independent as possible. Of course, that statement begs the question of how do you define independence? Over a year ago, I wrote an entry about redefining independence. Basically, to me, independence is living the best life possible with the circumstances you were given and the supports available to you.

Freedoms for people with disabilities may look a little different than what a what a typical person would consider a freedom is. Something as simple as being able to choose what to eat for dinner is often a freedom for someone. Another freedom that many adults take for granted is being able to go places whenever they want. Freedom for someone with a disability may be being able to showering or use the restroom whenever they want as opposed to having to wait until a certain time. 

Due to the opinion that the Department of Justice released regarding states not being required to provide community-based services, talk of institutionalization has again recently surfaced. I believe that putting people in institutions is the complete opposite of freedom. Regardless of their ability, no one deserves to be in an institution. Freedom is the ability to make one’s own choices. Even if a person doesn’t have the cognitive ability to express choice, it doesn’t matter—people don’t deserve to be institutionalized based on physical or intellectual ability. Nobody would deliberately choose to live life in an institution. 

Unfortunately, I can’t see many positive changes happening for people with disabilities in the near future. We, as a disability community, are going to have to continue to fight tooth and nail for our rights and freedoms. Quite honestly, it doesn’t make sense that the disability minority is being attacked. People seem to forget that we are one of the few minorities that people can unwillingly join in a blink of an eye. Why make drastic cuts to the programs that support people and diminish the freedom they have? It doesn’t make sense!

As the saying goes, “freedom is not free.” The truth is that many people—not just people with disabilities—are still fighting for freedom. 250 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, many Americans are still fighting for their independence. We will continue to advocate for our freedoms for another 250 years because we deserve it!

***The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors