Understanding successful transition to independent living: A qualitative study of young adults with disabilities

•Young adults with disabilities define Independent Living in various ways.•Individual definitions of Independent Living should be considered to ensure successful transitions.•Independent Living barriers include physical layout, amenities, and social support.•Learning daily living skills and using resources helps prepare young adults with disabilities to live independently. Independent Living (IL) involves having choice and control over where and with whom one lives. People with disabilities are less likely to live independently than their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of young adults with mobility disabilities regarding IL, how they define IL, and what advice they would give others considering living a more independent life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six young adults with mobility disabilities who had successfully transitioned to living independently. A content analysis was used to identify emergent themes from the interviews. Results indicate that participants had individualized perceptions of the definition of IL. Participants identified many barriers and facilitators to IL, including the physical layout of housing, available amenities, and social support. They recommended preparing for IL in advance and taking advantage of outside resources to enable a successful transition. Young adults with mobility disabilities define IL in various ways, which may have an impact on whether they consider their transition to IL successful. Findings can be used to guide recommendations for young people with disabilities to use to ensure a successful transition to IL.