09/04/2026
"Needing care and being capable of directing that care are two very different things." That's at the heart of Maria Matzik's new article.
Maria is a disability rights advocate from Fairborn, Ohio, who relies on daily assistance to live independently. She's spent more than three decades in advocacy, including over ten years focused on self-directed care.
Writing for New Mobility, Maria makes the case that needing help and needing control over your own decisions are not the same thing. She describes what it's actually like to navigate both a traditional home care program and a self-directed caregiver arrangement, and why having the flexibility to handle everyday changes on her own terms makes all the difference.
Her story is a powerful reminder of what independence really looks like. Read it here: https://hubs.ly/Q04wD6Mn0