Improve Access To Get Into My Home
Posted April 25, 2023 by Beth in Assistive Technology, Independent Living
RCIL was contacted by a retired fireman and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) medic who now requires assistive technology to get around. He moved into a home he had built, but it has a porch five feet off the ground. He needed a ramp to use besides the steps to get in and out of his home. He stated using the steps were causing him an enormous amount of pain. He planned the ramp design on his own, talked to a contractor, and used knowledge from past experiences. When he started this project money was a barrier so he requested resources from RCIL. Independent Living Specialist Suzanne worked with him to get an application for Friends of Man and the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation (CPRF).
The consumer applied for financial assistance at Friends of Man and CPRF. Friends of Man requires a licensed contractor so he searched high and low to try to get in contact with a licensed contractor, but he found that they were either booked out or not answering phone calls. The consumer learned of a friend of a friend, “Joe” from a local building company who provided an estimate. CPRF then approved half of the funding for the project and the consumer was able to pay for the other half himself.
“RCIL provided me with resources for getting financial assistance to pay for the ramp through a grant from CPRF.” The consumer added, “I am finally using the porch and front door and I no longer have to use the stairs to get into my home.” The consumer said he has noticed the following improvements since he set his goal; “I have less pain and fewer doctor appointments.” He said in the process of reaching his goal he learned, “Gravity is not your friend. It hurt to climb stairs. Help is available, don’t give up on searching.” By achieving his goal he said, “I am able to easily get into and out of my house. Having a ramp saves me from the pain of going up and down stairs and going to extra doctor appointments.”