In my thesis I wanted to investigate how users of personal assistance interpret independent living and what they consider to be the basic conditions for achieving it, how they identify their own independence and in which areas of their lives their dependence on personal assistance manifests itself. I was also interested in where they identify the good aspects of personal assistance, its shortcomings and its contribution to increasing the ability to live independently, where they identify examples of good practice in the implementation of personal assistance in their own daily lives, how their autonomy is manifested in the relationship with personal assistants and how they recognise the quality of the relationship established, how they assert their own wishes and needs in the process of implementing personal assistance and how they evaluate their own ability for independent decision-making, how they evaluate the importance of the role of a personal assistant, where they identify examples of good practice in their own lives, where they would like to see changes in the regulation of personal assistance, and where they see differences in the way a family member and an outsider provide personal assistance. In addition, I was also interested in where they identify the different treatment of people with disabilities in society and where they recognise the difference between personal assistance as support and care. I carried out a qualitative research, where I conducted eight interviews with female and male users of personal assistance, which I then processed in a qualitative way. Through my research, I have found that users see personal assistance as a major contribution to their ability to live independently, as it enables them to integrate into society, access services, carry out activities, live in the community, socialise, be active, by providing help and support only where they need it, and only in the way they define it. It enables them to take control of their own lives and contributes to their ability to function in society. Users also identify certain shortcomings in the regulation of personal assistance and point to barriers in the built environment that often prevent or hinder their access to services. They also mention the crucial role of personal assistance in enabling them to overcome such barriers. Users see personal assistance as support and additional help, where they distinguish it from care, which they associate with institutionalisation, patient care and the situation of being in a subordinate position, dependent on another person and having things for yourself done by them.
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