WV Centers for Independent LivingAdvocating for People with Disabilities
WV Centers for Independent LivingHome > Advocacy in Action > Legislative Priorities 2010 > Success Stories - NWCIL
West Virginia Centers for Independent Living:
-WVCIL legislative priorities
-Independent Living Fact Sheet
More information:
-Community Living Services Program
-Community Living Services Wait List
-map of the county assignments
Get Involved! and Contact your:
-Senator
-Delegate
West Virginians Served in
-By MTSTCIL
-By ACIL
-By NWCIL
Disability Advocacy Organizations:
-Fair Shake Network
-WV Mental Health Consumers' Association
-West Virginians’ Campaign for a Healthy Future
State agencies:
-WV Division of Rehabilitation Services
-West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office
-Olmstead Council Priorities and Issues
-West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council
-West Virginia State Independent Living Council
Stories from NWCIL of EJ and VI.
Several years ago, EJ had her life turned upside down. One day, while working at a farm supply store, she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She was completely unable to get up or even see the world around her. She spent several weeks in the hospital with doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with her. The final conclusion was mostly devastating, EJ has a degenerative bone disease not unlike multiple sclerosis. This disease brings with it significant pain, as well as cognitive complications. There is no cure or entirely successful treatment for EJ, her prognosis will eventually be death.
Upon learning what was in her future, EJ immediately moved from her home to a small trailer on her parent's property so that they could check in on her while she continued to live independently. At only 49 years old, EJ found herself unable to stand for more than a few minutes at a time, her mobility limited by the places she could fit her scooter.
EJ joined the CLSP waiting list on 12/15/2006; we were finally able to begin her work in early October, 2009.
During the time EJ was on the list, she elected to continue her education and work on making her home as accessible as possible to the greatest extent her body allowed. She has good days and bad days, both cognitively and with pain, but with her faithful dogs and grandchildren at her side she stays happy and involved in her community. Upon the completion of her beautiful ramp, EJ is looking forward to spending time on her deck and being able to do simple things like retrieving her own email, joining her parents in their home for dinner, and getting out in the community with her family. She is extremely grateful and thankful to everyone who has assisted with the project.
Prior to construction of this ramp, EJ was only able to go to the doctor via ambulance, paid for by Medicare. Her parents have worked hard to keep her from being institutionalized. Even with the support of her family, it was inevitable that she would need to be institutionalized without the ramp.
The support of the Community Living Services Program has empowered EJ to live independently and on her own terms, as well as providing a generous savings to the state healthcare system by allowing EJ to living independently and not in an institution.
VI is a 34 year old man who was born with spina bifida. VI lives a very independent lifestyle, in a respectable trailer he purchased for himself with his own money. VI relies on an electric power chair to move around his home and community, and does not require live in, or even temporary, personal assistance. However, VI's trailer had a hallway servicing the bathroom and bedroom, and that hallway was too narrow for his chair to roll through.
As a result, any time VI needed to use the restroom, bathe, or go to bed, he had to physically slide out of his chair onto the floor and drag himself down a carpeted hallway. Once inside the bathroom, he had to pull himself onto the toilet, or pull himself up the edge of the bathtub and then fall inside. Climbing into his bed wasn't much easier. Through the years he has snapped off toenails falling into the tub and has banged himself up several times. Regardless of these challenges, he continues to live on his own without relying on state funds for institutional living.
Through the Community Living Services Program we were able to entirely remove his hallway and widen his bathroom, install pocket doors and an accessible sink, thus allowing VI to pass directly from his living room through his bathroom and into his bedroom without exiting his chair. Additionally, we purchased a tub-transfer bench so that he may go directly from his chair onto the bench to bathe, without needing to go over the edge of the tub.
These renovations have greatly improved his safety, his ability to keep himself clean, his morale, and has indefinitely lengthened the time VI will be able to continue to live independently.
