Walton Options for Independent Living came out of a vision from the Director of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital to have available a continuum of services in the CSRA for persons with disabilities, which may begin with their entering a hospital or rehabilitation facility and ending with their living at home and independently in the community.  Walton Options became incorporated in Georgia in September 1994. The agency is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and operates with a consumer-driven board of directors and a staff where over 51 percent are persons with significant disabilities.

Named after George Walton, a native Augustan and youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence, Walton Options for Independent Living, Inc., a private, not-for-profit, nonresidential Center for Independent Living, serving 16 east central Georgia counties and 10 western South Carolina counties.  A Center for Independent Living (CIL), as defined by Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is a community-based, consumer-controlled organization providing independent living related services to people of all ages with all types of disabilities.

Walton Options operates all of their programs under these core values:

1. Persons with disabilities have a right to control and direct their own lives by making individual cultural and lifestyle choices among options that minimize reliance on others in decision-making and in performance of every day activities.
2. Persons with disabilities have a right to participate actively in society, which means having opportunities to fulfill a range of social roles such as working, owning a home, raising a family, engaging in leisure and recreational activities, and participating to the extent one choose in all aspects of community life.
3. Persons with disabilities have a right to equal access in education, employment, housing, and transportation as well as in purchasing goods and services.
4. Persons with disabilities are individuals who, as a result of their disability, have cultural differences or may use different tools or methods to accomplish tasks.  These cultural differences should not lead to exclusion.  Inclusion in society, including education, work, recreation, transportation, and housing is highly valued.

Through collaborative efforts with area resources and consumer advocacy groups, Walton Options engages in systems advocacy efforts and encourage individuals with disabilities to advocate for themselves.  The rights of each individual to make decisions, control their lives, and make choices are promoted through advocacy and public awareness efforts.  Toward this avenue, Walton Options provides information, training, and peer support related to assistive technology, independent living, work re-entry, and personal assistance services.