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Our Mission:
Large numbers of people in our city are literally prisioners in their own homes. They are unable to get into their showers, ascend steps, or even open doors. More importantly, many are unable to flee their homes in an emergency without assistance, due to the built environment of their homes.
It is people such as this Freedom by Design is dedicated to helping. Freedom by Design is a volunteer organization that surveys homes, identifies barriers that seriously affect the safety of a person in their home and their quality of life. Solutions to eliminate these barriers are found and then implemented. The mission of Freedom by Design is to radically impact peoples lives by giving them access to their homes through simple design and construction solutions.
How We Do This:
Freedom by Design helps people who are unable to qualify for other assistance. Volunteers survey homes to identify built obstacles that prevent access to areas within a person's home. Once these obstacles have been identified, they are prioritized and solutions are found to eliminate these barriers. Priority is given to barriers that create life-safety issues. Second priority is given to quality of life issues. This program is intended to provide solutions to basic daily needs, not to provide "luxury" items. Due to a limited amount of resources, there are instances where not all of the identified barriers can be eliminated. In those cases, the project team will determine with the recipients which solutions can be accomplished with the resources available.
Many of the barriers being discussed can be eliminated through simple, low cost alterations. Rooms can be made accessible by installing new levered hardware. Kitchens can be made usable by removing the base of existing cabinets and lowering wall cabinets. Mobility can be achieved by changing flooring materials. Access into and out of the home can be accomplished by building a simple ramp. These are simple modifications that can enable a person to live independently without constant assistance, and greatly improve an individual's confidence and self-esteem.
This is a grass roots effort to improve the lives of people in our community. We encourage you to contribute and truly make a difference in a person's life.
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