Enhanced Consumerism within Commercial Rehabilitation Product Markets: A Goal for Independent Living. EIF/REC Review Paper

This paper provides information to support the implementation and management of independent living services for individuals with disabilities. The paper compiles the experiences of numerous people involved in programs providing services which support disabled individuals as active consumers of commercial rehabilitative aids and devices. It documents some of the successes and some of the problems associated with those programmatic experiences. It also provides contacts within various organizations where more detailed information might be found. An introduction outlines the benefits of enhanced consumerism and the provision of support to maximize each person's capabilities to live independently. Model programs are then described, including descriptions of eight programs that provide alternative sources of financing, eight information clearinghouses, six training services, three maintenance/repair services, five used equipment clearinghouses, and two group purchasing opportunities. The paper concludes that encouraging more active participation by disabled individuals as consumers of commercial rehabilitative aids and devices is a promising and an appropriate goal for the independent living movement. A directory of the profiled programs is included in an appendix. (JDD)