Affiliations: United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,
USA | Robert Morris University, Moon Township, PA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Michele T. Cole, J.D., Ph.D., Robert
Morris University, 6001 University Blvd., Moon Township, PA, 15108, USA. Tel.:
+1 412 262 8626; Fax: +1 412 262 8494; E-mail: cole@rmu.edu
Abstract: Independent Living Programs continue to search for ways through
which their services can have a more positive impact on people with
disabilities and can provide increased satisfaction with their lives. This
study, conducted at a nonprofit community rehabilitation organization in
southwestern Pennsylvania, was designed to assess the extent to which two
different teaching goals of one Independent Living Program, self-efficacy and
interdependence, influenced life satisfaction for people with disabilities. The
study found that while both were significant variables, interdependence was a
more significant predictor of life satisfaction. The recommendation for
Independent Living Programs is that they focus on teaching interdependence as a
life-style approach, in combination with teaching self-efficacy skills, to
maximize the person's ability to achieve life satisfaction.
Keywords: Interdependence, self-efficacy, life satisfaction, independent living programs, people with disabilities
