Independence comes in many forms. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), has used a wheelchair since childhood and is a tireless advocate for accessibility. She wrote here about some of the accessibility battles: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/wheelchair-access-compliance.
Also, assistive devices can make a world of difference on a personal level and in this video she shared a few favorites: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/video/my-favorite-gadgets. What are some of the favorite gadgets out there?