The National Organization on Disability sponsors an annual competition inviting organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities to submit entries describing their implementation of service programs in their communities.
Eric Wineland, HAM Program Coordinator at the time, submitted this entry in the 2000 competition, and was awarded First Place, Counties Division. At that time, DSLC was known as CRI, Community Resources for Independence.
We take pride in reprinting the award in full below.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ON DISABILITY/UNITED PARCEL SERVICE COMMUNITY AWARDS COMPETITION
Application by County of Sonoma, California and Community Resources for Independence
Sonoma County residents who are disabled often face insurmountable difficulties in maintaining an independent living situation when they can no longer move freely within their homes or safely use appliances in the bathroom, the kitchen etc.
The Housing Access Modification (HAM) Program was designed to help eliminate structural barriers and provide a variety of systems modifications to make homes safer, more accessible and functional for low-income persons with disabilities.
More people are now living with a disability. At the end of 1994, 53.9 million people in the United States (20.6% of the population) had some level of disability and 26 million (9.9%) had a severe disability. It is estimated that among the population 6 years and over, 8.6 million people had difficulty with one or more activities of daily living and 4.1 million needed personal assistance of some kind (McNeil, 1997).
Public acknowledgement of people with disabilities and progress toward universal design has developed in the last few decades along three parallel tracks of activities: legislation fueled by the disability rights movement, the barrier-free to universal design movement and advances in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology.
The implementation and administration of this project is a collaborative effort of Community Resources for Independence (CRI) and the County of Sonoma, through the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (SCCDC). The funds for this program originate from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
CRI does outreach in the community by mailing out flyers describing the HAM Program, speaking to groups from mobile home parks, senior activity centers, physical and occupational therapists, local agencies and businesses.
In the year 2000, the HAM program has assisted sixteen (16) persons with disabilities by removing architectural barriers in their homes and enabling them to remain safely at home. This project has been an on-going success since November 9, 1994.
The specific objective of the Housing Access Modification (HAM) Program is to eliminate access problems for low-income people with disabilities in their homes. The modifications provided offer the freedom and independence for those individuals to remain safely and independently in their homes. In most cases, these modifications will be permanent changes, meeting the needs of the current residents as well as future occupants. By removing structural barriers and providing a variety of systems modifications, the homes become safer, more accessible and functional, and the risk of homelessness, institutionalization, or of becoming a "shut-in" is reduced.
The program consists of a number of different components. Outreach and marketing is conducted by disseminating information to individuals with disabilities who need access modifications in their living environment. CRI and a SCCDC representative perform an accessibility modification assessment at the applicant's home to determine the specific modifications that are needed. Competitive bids are solicited from the approved list of contractors. Once bids are returned from the contractors, CRI reviews and approves the most appropriate bid and sends it to the SCCDC for review and approval. After the bid is approved and returned to CRI, the contractor, the owner/manager, the HAM coordinator, and the SCCDC representative will meet at the residence and sign the contract.
CRI inspects and approves all work for compliance with all accessibility regulations and guidelines, and signs the Notice of Completion. CRI is responsible for providing the consumer with appropriate orientation and training for use and maintenance (if necessary) of the completed access modification.
In cases where a landlord is unaware of the law or is unwilling to approve modifications, CRI will intervene on behalf of renters who are disabled to allow landlords to reconsider their objections.
The first HAM Coordinator who developed the program is a person who is visually impaired. He used a computer program called "Jaws" to create all of the forms, letters, and memos for the HAM Program. The current HAM Coordinator is an individual who is a paraplegic. Since he is in a wheelchair it isn't possible for him to enter the residence, so he takes an assistant with him to do the assessment. The assistant will go into the residence with a video camera and film as the resident describes his/her needs. She then takes the camera out to the HAM Coordinator and he reviews the film and directs his assistant to get a close-up here or clearer shot there. Back in the office this film helps the Coordinator to prepare the "scope of work."
One example of the type of modification that has been made is the installation of a wheelchair lift for a woman who is 95 years old. This project required the removal of the old stairway, building a new landing that the lift system opened on to, and installing the lift. The newly installed lift allowed the woman to remain in her own home rather than going to a convalescent home.
A second example involves a seven year old boy that was injured in an auto accident. This individual will be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. In this case the problem is that his front yard and drive-way were inaccessible to him, so his mother had to carry him to the car and operate his wheelchair to get it in the back of their van. The HAM Program paved the entire front driveway and installed a ramp at the front door. It was most satisfying to see this little boy driving his wheelchair around that driveway, and having the other kids wanting to get in his chair, so they could do it too.
A third example is a couple who have a new baby and are hearing impaired. The HAM Program installed flashing light systems for the door bell, the telephone (with a remote in the bedroom), the smoke detector, and a baby cry alert.
All of the HAM's other projects have had similar successes in giving consumers access to, and better use of their homes. Programs like the HAM Program help keep people in their homes even though they may have serious physical, mental, emotional, and/or other disabilities.
Since 1998 the Sonoma County funded HAM Program has spent Community Development Block Grant funds in the amount of $100,272 directly on work performed to make the necessary modifications required on 26 individual recipients' homes. Another $31,412.73 was spent on 18 individuals homes in two replicated HAM Programs for the cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma. These figures represent the amount which has been paid directly to contractors that have installed these modifications. This averages out to be less than $3,000.00 per job.
Keeping those 44 people out of convalescent homes has saved the tax payers approximately $3-5,000.00 per month each. At an average of $4,000.00 each per month if those 44 people were in a convalescence home for two years, the total cost for board and care equals $4,224,000.00.
Community Development Block Grant funds are available to all of the states in the nation. These funds are dispersed to entitlement entities who meet the population requirements. As a non-profit organization CRI applies to the County of Sonoma, an entitlement entity which also includes the County's seven smaller cities, and to the cities of Petaluma and Santa Rosa, which are separate entitlement entities.
Through various checks and balances all of the money is regulated and accomplishments are reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
This innovative program has enabled numerous persons with disabilities to live richer and fuller lives. Eliminating barriers to one's own home and the outside world is important to the health, safety, and self-respect of those whose access has been limited by such barriers.
Modifications as simple as changing door knobs to levered handles for those who cannot use their hands for gripping, opens the possibility of not being trapped inside their own home. Providing this truly needed service has greatly improved the quality of life for those involved.
The HAM Program has been recognized by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) for its innovative contributions to the local community. In addition, the SCCDC has provided information about the HAM Program to other government agencies seeking to establish similar programs. If the County of Sonoma receives the grand prize of $10,000.00 it will be used by CRI to target unserved/underserved populations such as Native Americans and Hispanics. CRI has offices in Mendocino County and Napa County, and could use these funds to leverage CDBG funds from other county governments to perform Housing Access Modifications and set up the support structure necessary for new HAM Programs. Some of this money could be held in an emergency fund to make modifications for persons who might be ineligible for the existing programs. (For instance, the City of Petaluma uses their CDBG funds for home owners and seniors in subsidized housing. This leaves a large population of young disabled renters unserved.)
If the County of Sonoma receives one of the smaller awards, it could be used by CRI to outreach by advertising, by promotional events and by creating and mailing flyers. It could also be used to purchase a video camera specifically for the HAM Program, because the Housing Access Program has to borrow one from CRI's deaf services department. CRI won first place in the counties division. The award was presented to CRI by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The monetary award was $3,500.00.