New Mobility: Give Me the Tools to Live My Life, Not a System That Controls It 

Maria Matzik is a 56-year-old homeowner from Fairborn, Ohio, who uses a ventilator, tracheostomy, and wheelchair, and relies on daily assistance to live independently. She’s also a disability rights advocate with more than three decades of experience, including over ten years focused on self-directed care, work she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to.

In a new article, Maria writes about a distinction she says gets overlooked too often: needing daily assistance and being capable of directing your own care are two entirely different things. She shares what it’s actually like to rely on both traditional home care services and a self-directed caregiver, and why the flexibility to adjust care around real life, without weeks of paperwork, matters so much.

Maria’s story is a powerful reminder of what independence really looks like. Read the full article here: Give Me the Tools to Live My Life, Not a System That Controls It | New Mobility