This show airs on Fridays, 10 am to Noon on WCWP – 88.1 FM,  Long Island University, CW Post radio.  Thanks to Evelyn Roth, Commissioner of Town of North Hempstead’s Department of Services for the Aging and staff.

http://www.tonhprojectindependence.net/RadioShow.aspx

Sydni lives with her mother, sister and brother in South Boston, in a small 800 square foot apartment. The apartment building is only accessible by stairs and it takes two adults to carry Syndi and her wheel chair in and out.

Volunteer Architect , Leonardi Aray and Marissa Lisec, intern architect, designed a renovation that includes a safe accessible entrance, an accessible bathroom, new living  space and a bedroom large enough for her hospital bed.

These changes will greatly improve daily life for Sydni and her whole family.  Also, the new space will allow her to continue to work on her physical therapy exercises, aqua therapy and give her chance to strengthen her muscles and walk around independently.

Friends and family are working on raising funds for this project. To donate funds for construction select “Home for Sydni” on our donations page.

Danny smiles a lot, is an avid Yankees fan and loves showing us how many sit-ups he can do. When we first met Danny two years ago, he was recovering from an accident with a traumatic brain injury and he was stuck in a hospital bed in the center of the family living room.  He needed an accessible bathroom, with a roll in shower to have some privacy.

With a new design by volunteer Jerry Ciccari, Architect, our  HFH volunteers from CJ Construction started  with the demolition of the existing bedroom and bathroom.  With funds from the Town of Hempstead, we were able to construct a new large fully accessible bathroom.  A door leads to the backyard deck, which was built by volunteers from Rebuilding Together Long Island.

HomeFreeHome will use the grant to launch new educational workshops about universal design, accessible home construction and encourage people to advocate in their local communities.

Our first workshop will be on September 28th at the Suffolk Independent Living Organization ( SILO) in Coram, NY .  We will also be showing this presentation at our next meeting at the Port Washington Library on November 6th at 2pm.

Keep updated on our Workshop schedule, send us an email – architect@HomeFreeHome.org

Liz and “Hercules” join us at our booth.

Many of them who could not climb the stairs were excluded from services. The old stone block of the outside steps create a very dangerous situation and even more treacherous when there is rain or snow.

Built in 1886, the classic Gothic Revival church in Newark, New Jersey, does not meet current ADA standards and building codes. Architects Les Tribble and Dave Buckman of Buckman Architectural Group have designed a new ramp that will allow people who use wheelchairs, scooters and walkers to enter the church. In April they completed the plans and applied for a building permit.

Book Review: In-laws, Outlaws, and Granny Flats : Your Guide to Turning One House into Two Homes, presents an informative, illustrated guide that outlines strategies for construction and design of dwelling units.  Author, Michael Litchfield, provides a practical approach and examples of well designed spaces for aging in place. Full book review in Senior Housing News