Independent living represents the right and need of every person with disabilities (PWD) to make their own decisions and take control of their lives, not to have any lifestyle imposed on them, and to enjoy the same opportunities to participate in the community as other members. With the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the right to live independently and be included in the community was highlighted in Article 19. In the Republic of Croatia, research of the independent living of persons with disabilities is a relatively new field (Tarandek, 2014). Therefore, within the framework of the scientific research project "Platform 50+" (2020-2023) research was conducted on the topic "Mapping the components of independent living", and this paper will present the preliminary results of one part of that research. The project is implemented by the Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities in Croatia (SOIH) in partnership with the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences University of Zagreb and 11 partner associations of persons with disabilities, members of SOIH. The coordinator of the project for the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences is professor Daniela Bratković, PhD. The aim of the qualitative research in this paper is to analyze the factors of independent living for PWD from the perspective of the experts who provide them with support. 7 experts from Primorsko- goranska County who have experience in working with PWD participated in the research, and they were selected using the method of intentional causation. Focus group interviews were used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to process the obtained results. During the qualitative analysis, four thematic areas were defined: characteristics of everyday life, forms of systematic and professional support and the possibility of choice, access to spaces, facilities and services, and self-determination. Several themes and subthemes emerged in each area. The results of the research offered an overview of the possibilities and obstacles for achieving independent living for the PWD from the perspective of the experts from Primorsko-goranska County, as well as several suggestions for improving the possibilities for independent living of the PWD.