As the access advocate here at Options for Independence, I help to administer Cayuga County's Home Access and Rehabilitation Program (HARP) along with our partners at Homsite.
This is a great program.
HARP, which is funded by Cayuga County through a federal grant, provides accessibility modifications to qualified people with disabilities at no cost to them. But HARP can do much more than just accessibility modifications. HARP can also address code violations for homes that are receiving an access modification.
The goal is to help people with disabilities stay in their homes, and make sure that their homes remain safe and in good repair.
When people call me about the HARP, the most common question I encounter is whether or not they count as disabled.
This is not always an easy question. It is something you have to discuss with your doctor.
But, I can understand why people are sometimes uncomfortable with the topic. Nobody wants to be defined by what they can't do. Nobody wants to feel helpless and dependent. There is still an unfortunate stigma against people with disabilities.
What I want people to understand is that HARP is designed explicitly to help people win out over barriers in their own home. We can't take a disability away, but we can help you live life on your own terms.
But to get back to that common question, a disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
You don't have to be confined to a wheelchair to qualify for HARP.
If you have arthritis that makes it difficult or painful to step into your bathtub, then maybe we can help you. If you have nerve damage that makes it impossible to reach up to use cupboards mounted over your kitchen counter, there are things that can be done. If your bedroom and bathroom are on the second floor of your house, and climbing the stairs is getting to be an ordeal, then we should look at home modification.
HARP has some limits. This program is limited to people who live in Cayuga County, but outside the city of Auburn. Federal regulations mandate that only people with disabilities, who are of low to moderate income, qualify. HARP is also limited to assisting owner occupied housing units.
We can't help everyone with HARP, but there are considerable opportunities available.
If you are a person with a disability who is interested in getting an accessibility modification made to your home, or a family member of such a person, please contact me at Options for Independence. I will be happy to answer any questions you have and provide you with an application.
If you need an accessibility modification, but don't qualify for HARP, we have other programs we administer at Options for Independence. It would be my pleasure to try to find a program that is right for you.
We want you to be able to stay in your home almost as much as you do.
Collin M. Sullivan is the ADA/access advocate for Options for Independence. He may be reached at 255-3447.
HARP, which is funded by Cayuga County through a federal grant, provides accessibility modifications to qualified people with disabilities at no cost to them. But HARP can do much more than just accessibility modifications. HARP can also address code violations for homes that are receiving an access modification.
The goal is to help people with disabilities stay in their homes, and make sure that their homes remain safe and in good repair.
When people call me about the HARP, the most common question I encounter is whether or not they count as disabled.
This is not always an easy question. It is something you have to discuss with your doctor.
But, I can understand why people are sometimes uncomfortable with the topic. Nobody wants to be defined by what they can't do. Nobody wants to feel helpless and dependent. There is still an unfortunate stigma against people with disabilities.
What I want people to understand is that HARP is designed explicitly to help people win out over barriers in their own home. We can't take a disability away, but we can help you live life on your own terms.
But to get back to that common question, a disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
You don't have to be confined to a wheelchair to qualify for HARP.
If you have arthritis that makes it difficult or painful to step into your bathtub, then maybe we can help you. If you have nerve damage that makes it impossible to reach up to use cupboards mounted over your kitchen counter, there are things that can be done. If your bedroom and bathroom are on the second floor of your house, and climbing the stairs is getting to be an ordeal, then we should look at home modification.
HARP has some limits. This program is limited to people who live in Cayuga County, but outside the city of Auburn. Federal regulations mandate that only people with disabilities, who are of low to moderate income, qualify. HARP is also limited to assisting owner occupied housing units.
We can't help everyone with HARP, but there are considerable opportunities available.
If you are a person with a disability who is interested in getting an accessibility modification made to your home, or a family member of such a person, please contact me at Options for Independence. I will be happy to answer any questions you have and provide you with an application.
If you need an accessibility modification, but don't qualify for HARP, we have other programs we administer at Options for Independence. It would be my pleasure to try to find a program that is right for you.
We want you to be able to stay in your home almost as much as you do.
Collin M. Sullivan is the ADA/access advocate for Options for Independence. He may be reached at 255-3447.
The Citizens' Say
There are 1 comment(s)
jane doe wrote on Apr 30, 2008 11:20 AM: