The creation of this first Center for Independent Living in the early 1970s started a national movement. It was the birth of a new way of seeing disability called the community model. Community model focuses on the individual with a disability as the solution and not the problem. As opposed to medical model, which focuses on the physical or mental problem that needs to be “fixed.” But many people don’t know this philosophy. All too often, people with disabilities are still seen as the problem.

Join Holly and Michael as they talk with Karen Tamley, CEO of Access Living. Karen discusses the services that Centers for Independent Living provide. She also talks about the philosophy of Independent Living.

For the resources and links mentioned in this episode, please visit us at disabilitygarrison.org.