The future of independence is interdependence

The writer recounts living most of her life in a single, highly adapted room - adjustable bed, grabbers, a tablet dock, delivery services and assistive devices - and uses that day-to-day reality to challenge the cultural myth of self-sufficiency. She shows that what is labeled independence is actually selective visibility of dependence: driving to a grocery store or hiring help is accepted, while disability-visible supports are stigmatized. Independence has been conflated with doing tasks unassisted, while autonomy - meaningful control over one’s life - often depends on aid. The piece lays out concrete examples: algorithms that manage appointments, deliveries that substitute for mobility, stairs that disable some people but not others, and the double standard by which privately purchased assistance becomes a marker of success while public or visible care marks inadequacy.

Looking ahead, it argues society cannot afford the fantasy of solitary independence as populations age, families disperse, climate shocks increase, and technology creates new dependencies. Care should be treated as infrastructure: accessible housing, reliable transport, flexible employment, paid and supported caregiving, affordable assistive tech, and earlier, dignity-preserving services. Technology can increase autonomy but will require maintenance, oversight, and equitable access. True independence is reframed as having enough support to direct one’s life; the future must be deliberately designed interdependence rather than denied.