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Many government agencies and
nonprofit organizations help people with disabilities cope with the tasks of
daily living. Two good places to start looking for services that might help
you include:
Your local Center for Independent Living (CIL)―CILs
are nonprofit organizations designed and operated within local communities
by people with disabilities. CILs provide information and referral,
independent living skills training, and peer counseling. To find the CIL in
your area, visit the CIL Directory web site.
DisabilityInfo.gov―This federal web site
provides people with disabilities information and resources in such areas as
employment, housing, and transportation. State resources are also available
To find disability resources in your state, click on the "Find State and
Local Resources" map located in each of the subject areas.
Housing Options
Independent living is a desire of
many, if not most, people with disabilities. A number of devices can help
people with disabilities perform daily tasks needed to stay living at home.
Many of these devices are easy to use and low-cost. Often, products cost
less at local hardware and plumbing or electrical supply stores than through
disability-related product suppliers. These devices include:
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outdoor ramps to help people
avoid steps
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lever door handles that replace
round knobs for people with limited use of their hands
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bathtub grab bars to prevent
falls
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seat-lifting chairs for people
who have difficulty standing up because of back problems or weak legs
An
occupational therapist
can visit your home and make suggestions about which devices might make your
life easier.
If you are not able to stay in your home and need assistance in daily
living, there are several options:
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Group homes are houses
or apartments where two or more people with disabilities live together.
They help each other in performing tasks of daily living. Group home
businesses also have staff who visit the homes and help residents.
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Assisted-living facilities
provide a variety of services, including housekeeping, laundry, meal
preparation, and transportation. They have staff who are available 24
hours to help as needed.
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Nursing homes are for
people with more severe disabilities who need 24-hour nursing care.
Nursing homes also often have doctors on staff.
Transportation
Like all people, people with
disabilities need a way to get around. More and more, public transportation
and new technologies are helping people with disabilities go to work, go
shopping, and visit friends.
Public Transportation
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that new public buses
and rail vehicles (such as subway cars) be accessible to people in
wheelchairs. Many new buses now have lifts or ramps for people in
wheelchairs. The buses also must have at least two spaces inside for
securing wheelchairs.
For people who cannot use fixed route bus services, many city transit
agencies provide what is known as "paratransit." Paratransit services
typically use vans or mini-buses that are equipped with wheelchair lifts or
ramps. These vehicles usually do not follow fixed schedules. To schedule a
pick-up, you call the transit agency.
Adapting Motor Vehicles for People with Disabilities
Adaptive devices allow many people with disabilities to drive their own
vehicles. Some examples are:
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hand controls that operate the
brakes and accelerator
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wheelchair lifts and ramps
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left foot accelerator (for a
driver missing a right leg)
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right hand turn signals (for a
driver missing a left arm)
A driving rehabilitation
specialist can tell you if adapting your vehicle is possible. To find a
driving rehabilitation specialist in your area, contact a local
rehabilitation center or call the
Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. A qualified vehicle
modification dealer installs the devices suggested for your car. This dealer
is not the same as the dealer that sold you your vehicle. Your state's
department of disability services may have a list of qualified vehicle
modification dealers in your area. Also, you can contact the
National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association.
Programs that pay part or all of the cost of vehicle modification might be
offered in your state. To find out, contact your state's department of
disability services.
For more information on adapting your motor vehicle and how to pay for it,
see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's brochure titled "Adapting
Motor Vehicles For People With Disabilities."
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology (AT) refers
to devices used by people with disabilities to help them perform tasks and
activities. AT devices can help you move around, see, communicate, eat, or
get dressed. Some are high-tech, such as a computer program that reads aloud
what you have typed into the computer. Others are much simpler, like a "reacher"―a
tool that helps you grab an object you can't reach.
Other types of assistive technology include:
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a one-handed cutting board that
has spikes to hold food in place while you cut it with one hand
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automatic page turners
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light-weight wheelchairs
designed for organized sports, such as basketball, tennis, and racing
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motorized scooters
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talking clocks
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Velcro® fasteners on shoes
Another type of assistive
technology that you may have heard of is a telephone relay service. This
service allows a person who is deaf to communicate with a hearing person
over the phone. The person who is deaf types on a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD), which has a keyboard and a small screen. A phone company
operator receives the message and reads it aloud for the person who can
hear. The hearing person gives her reply to the operator, who then types it
into her TDD. This text then shows up on the screen of the TDD of the person
who is deaf.
Need help choosing or buying an AT device? Try contacting your state's
AT program. These programs provide:
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AT demonstration and loan
centers, where you can sample a variety of AT devices and take them home
to try out
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information and referral
services to help you locate companies that sell AT devices
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low-interest loans to help you
pay for AT products
Service Animals
Service animals do some of the
things that people with disabilities cannot do for themselves. A service
animal may:
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guide the blind (for instance,
a Seeing Eye® dog)
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alert people with hearing
problems to sounds
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pull wheelchairs
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carry and pick up things for
people who have a hard time moving around
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respond to medical crises, such
as seizures caused by epilepsy
Most service animals are dogs.
But other animals can also be trained to perform tasks for people with
disabilities. For instance, miniature horses are trained to guide the blind
and pull wheelchairs. Cats can be trained to pick up dropped items and alert
the hearing impaired to important noises. |
