The report is based on a 1982 conference on the status of independent living programs, community based programs run by disabled persons to provide advocacy and support services to the disabled community. The philosophy of independent living is reviewed and its attributes of community responsiveness, provision of support services and advocacy, and…

Strategies and techniques for developing community-based programs for mentally retarded persons in rural areas must take into consideration local circumstances, resources, and characteristics. Rural norms such as overt racial segregation, social conformity, the importance of church, and the stigma of obtaining human services for personal problems…