Independence Northwest - Naugatuck, CT

Location: Naugatuck, CT.

Who We Are

Independence Northwest is the result of an exciting, innovative and successful movement for people with disabilities that began in the early 1970’s and is now represented by over 400 organizations nationwide. Our organization, and the other centers that advocate the independent living model, is fundamentally different from other providers that serve people with disabilities because we approach the situation in an entirely new way. We have been serving persons with disabilities living in northwestern Connecticut since our inception in 1988.

Our Approach

We believe the problem lies with society, not the individual. The preferred solution is to fix society to fit the individual. A disability is not a disease but a condition, often times permanent, that affects or restricts an individual’s ability to perform certain tasks. With our approach, the person with the disability controls the service instead of the professional; the desired outcome of service is to achieve control over daily living whenever and wherever possible.

Using this approach, we developed a radically different set of services at Independence Northwest that are based on two fundamental principles:

• To ensure equal access and equal opportunity and,

• to empower people with disabilities to achieve greater  independence so that they can lead fuller and more satisfying lives.