Ideology and Independent Living: Will Conservatism Harm People with Disabilities?

The prospect of a conservative revolution has raised the anxiety of the predominantly liberal disability leadership. Whether the diverse disability community shares the policy objectives of the leadership, and its concern over the conservative agenda, is not clear. This article considers four major branches of the conservative movement—fiscal conservatism, the federalist movement, social and religious conservatism, and libertarianism—and their compatibility with the independent living movement, a social movement supported by most people with disabilities. It concludes that the two social movements have several consistent tenets, such as individual responsibility, personal and economic freedom, and self-reliance. Conversely, liberal policies, which tend to encourage dependency, appear in direct conflict with the independent living philosophy. The Americans with Disabilities Act is examined as a disability policy that is largely consistent with conservative principles. The article concludes that, to achieve their policy goals, people with disabilities should seek representation on both sides of the political aisle and should develop proposals that will be acceptable to conservatives and moderates as well as liberals.