IL's Philosophy is an alternative approach to the traditional medical rehabilitation service delivery model. The IL Philosophy promotes and encourages an attitude of self-direction in stakeholders so that they may be able to negotiate and access the community services and resources they require in order to participate as equal citizens in their community. The IL Philosophy recognizes the rights of Individual with disabilities to assume risks and to make choices. It puts all decision-making right into their hands. Consumers are encouraged to identify and to achieve their own independent living life goals.

The IL model encourages people with disabilities to take control over their own lives. People with disabilities have the right to examine options, make choices, take risks, and even to make mistakes in the learning process. Through these rights and responsibilities, each person maintains his/her self-respect. The IL Philosophy recognizes the reality that people with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else and it allows people with disabilities the dignity of risk. According to the Independent Living Paradigm, the problem does not reside in the individual, but often in the solution offered by the professional solution offered. In 1979 Gerben De Jong researched and brought these concepts to the academic community. According to the traditional medical model, physicians and other professional are the experts one must obey. These experts take charge; they see people with disabilities as child-like, equally weak and uninformed people who are unable to take control of their own lives. In dramatic contrast, IL philosophy recognizes the realities that people with disabilities can and do take action. IL has a self empowerment self-help method that leads to a new kind of social and political power.

The IL Movement has prospered because it encourages and enables people with disabilities to fully participate in their community. IL philosophy fits well with all social and political beliefs of inclusion and equal human rights. The IL Movement seeks to raise community consciousness. It helps to remove social and environmental obstacles, such as the barriers around the stigma surrounding disability, the lack of access to proper education, chronic poverty and unemployment or under-employment, for people with all kinds of disabilities. Economically, the IL model provides such opportunities which enable them to make choices, develop self-management, gather skill and therefore reduce dependency on the public purse. Further, they themselves become able to contribute economically, socially, politically, spiritually and culturally to our social democracy.