Font Resize
For Alaska's disabled, finding a home that can accommodate a wheelchair can be incredibly difficult. The CBS 11 News I-Team found out just how hard it is.
There's a saying in the disabled community that it's an equal opportunity minority group. No matter how much education we have or what economic class we belong to, we're all just an accident away from needing assistance getting around. That can also mean needing to find a new home.
Miranda Monet struggles to navigate her apartment in Soldotna, now that she's in a wheelchair.
"Well, I have to sleep on the couch. And on the days that I'm in a wheelchair, I have to crawl to the bathroom. I mean
Her apartment is bare. Monet is moving to a new place where, she says, the landlord is willing to help her out by installing a rail, so that she can get in and out of her wheelchair.
But finding a new apartment took about two months. It can be extremely difficult for the disabled in Alaska to find accessible housing.
What would they say when you talked to them?
"Waiting list two to five years. Or, 'We only have two apartments that's handicap accessible.' Or, 'Um, we have a deposit, an application fee,'" said Monet.
She couldn't afford it, and at times, was also turned down by landlords for bad credit. This is not unusual, according to Jim Beck, who helps run the advocacy group, Access Alaska in Anchorage.
The law allows a disabled person to modify an apartment so that it's handicap-accessible. But the tenant has to pay for it.
"And unfortunately, folks with disabilities are frequently living below the poverty level, so often don't have the funding they need to make those changes. Although, organizations like Access Alaska do quite a bit of home modifications to provide assistance with that, when possible." said Beck.
You and your family may not be in Monet's situation now. But as the baby boomer generation gets older, some housing basics are likely to become a huge issue. According to Access Alaska, there's a debate about whether new laws are needed to force contractors to build differently and include features that are essential as the homeowner ages.
"Ground-level entrances, wide enough doorways for wheelchairs to move through, sometimes studs behind the walls in a certain place so that grab bars can be mounted later on. Things like that," said Beck.
As for Monet, she enjoyed a last cup of coffee before leaving her apartment behind. Thanks to the kindness of her new landlord, she's getting back some
The folks at Access Alaska get state and federal grants to help people make changes to their homes, so they can live independently.
Access Alaska-Anchorage
121 W. Fireweed Lane
Suite 105
Anchorage, AK 99503
907-248-4777
If you have a story for the I-Team that you want me to look into, you can call the I-Team hotline number at 273-3111.
