Abstract
Persons with physical disabilities who live in rural areas and require personal assistance in order to function face almost overwhelming barriers to pursuing independent lives. From the time of onset of disability, families assume the major responsibility for meeting their personal assistance needs. Often individuals with disabilities are poorly prepared to manage this need for themselves, lacking information and experiencing severe limitations in financial and human resources. The author presents information on personal assistance and methods used by people with physical disabilities to meet their need for personal assistance, and discusses the special assistance-related problems faced by people living in rural areas.
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