Feature Issue on Self Direction

I have had an intellectual disability throughout my life and a physical disability that started after I went to college. In 2005 I graduated from New York Institute of Technology’s Vocational Independence Program, then returned home to live with my parents. In 2018, I moved into my own apartment, and this is when I began my journey of independence with self-direction.

I use support from a direct support professional (DSP) for things like food shopping, apartment upkeep, going to the gym, and other community activities. The DSP supports me at some doctor appointments, and when I take my dog, Lucky, to dog parks and the groomer. I go to camp every summer, and I do travel respite two to four weekends a year. I use the Personal Preference Program in New Jersey to help with personal care needs. I’ve used agencies to attend community outings and go on vacations. All of these things help me to be successful living on my own.

This past summer I decided I wanted to find a new apartment and I was looking online for one that accepted my Division of Developmental Disabilities voucher and came across a new apartment in Camden County. At that time, I started using a support broker and she helped me set up a tour of the new apartment. With support from family members, I moved in on October 1, 2024.

Let me tell you more about what I am doing with my support broker. She will be helping me to get a support dog that I have wanted for a long time and did not know how to get. She is also helping get to know my new community. We also have a long list of projects to do so I can live the life I want.

I use New Jersey Transit Access Link, and I use Uber and Lyft, along with a transportation company. I use Alexa, Siri, and a phone calendar to help me to get through my busy days. I am currently working a couple days a week at Abilities Solutions. For my future, I am dedicated to self-advocacy and hope someday it will turn into a job as well.

Some people think that people with disabilities who live on their own in their own apartments and direct their own services do not really need help, and that is not true. We need to have wrap-around services for people living in their own apartments. People in group homes and supported apartments seem to get all the help, but then some people think that they cannot vote, and that is not true, either. They have the right to vote and to do advocacy work, and we all have the right to live where we want and get the support we need. Staff need to talk to other advocates about this issue.

This has been my passion: to do advocacy work for all people with disabilities. If you do not have disabilities, please be kind and respectful to those who do. Remember that name-calling and language can be hurtful. Remember that we have rights, including the right to have the support services we choose for our lives.

And whether you have disabilities or not, I urge you to do something today that your future self will thank you for.