The ability to live as independently as possible is a central piece of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which marks its 20th Anniversary this week. In the final piece of a two-part report, Health reporter Kafi Drexel profiles Independence Care System, a local organization working to live up to and beyond the standard of the law to serve New Yorkers with disabilities.

Marcus Johnson was a passenger in a serious car crash 19 years ago that left him a quadriplegic. Before the accident, he was a student at Juilliard and on track for a great dance career.

In 1979, theater director Jack Hofsiss earned a Tony Award for the Broadway debut of "The Elephant Man." A few years later, he suffered a spinal cord injury after diving into a pool.

Christy Cruz, who was born with cerebral palsy, recently earned her General Educational Development certificate, after battling with the city to make sure she had special test modifications and an accessible building to take her GED exam.

These three active New Yorkers say one of the things they value most is the right to live as independently as possible.

"In my work previous to the accident, I had dealt with these kinds of issues of disabilities, but I can tell you it really doesn't prepare you in any genuine way when it becomes your life," said Hofsiss. "That knocks you for a loop."

Hofsiss and 1,500 other New Yorkers turn to the local organization Independence Care System on a regular basis for assistance with their active lives.

In addition to coordinating health and social services through Medicaid funds, a major program for ICS is their wheelchair clinic. The program customizes wheelchairs and provides backups where Medicaid does not offer coverage.

Johnson, who works for ICS as a member advocate, makes trips to the wheelchair clinic regularly.

"Every time I get a new wheelchair, I always have little quirks. It's not accommodating my body the proper way," he said. "So when I speak to the therapist here, they know what to look for and they have the technology to find out why [I'm not] comfortable in this seat."

The ICS therapists make clinical decisions for wheelchair users, which could range from simple issues as replacing a cushion, to getting completely new equipment.

Cruz says the programs and services at ICS provides more independence and more freedom.

"I've always tried to persevere and want more for myself. I don't want to be whatever classification label an educational professional has placed on me," said Cruz.

Like many other New Yorkers with similar conditions, Cruz intends on leaving those labels far behind.