Accessibility Is Home podcast

Unlocking Inclusive Travel: Pioneering Accessibility in Vacation Rentals with Lorraine Woodward

Traveling can be challenging if you are disabled because of  inaccessible short term rentals. But through the help of disabled homeowners and "Becoming Rentable," that will change!  In honor of Accessibility Is Home podcast  winning the Sonic Bloom Pioneer Award, to pioneers are interviewed - Angela Fox and Lorraine Woodward. Lorraine Woodward is the visionary behind Becoming Rentable, who's reshaping the travel landscape to accommodate everyone's needs. Our conversation orbits around the of...

The New Era of Inclusive Home Construction

I teamed up with Griffin Benton from the Maryland Building Industry Association for a heart-to-heart on the Universal Design and Visitability for Housing Act that's revolutionizing homes in Prince George's County, Maryland. We're marking International Day of Acceptance for Disability by celebrating the strides in inclusivity this legislation promises. Griffin provides an insider's view of the industry's initial hesitations and the ultimate community benefits envisioned. We also navigate the ...

Creating a Barrier-Free World: Insights from Disability Advocate Leslie Davis

What happens when an architectural enthusiast, world traveler, and disability advocate merges her passion with her profession? Meet Leslie Davis, who has spent the past 20 years coordinating disability services and making the world a more accessible place during her international travels.  After being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, she transformed her personal experience with disability into a mission of educating and assisting businesses in becoming more accessible across the globe...

Inclusive Alzheimer's Home Design: Lighting the world in Teal

This week, we take you on an enlightening journey through the world of accessibility and home design for individuals with dementia and Neurodivergent disabilities. Jonathan Katz  joins us to untangle the complexities of accessible design in kitchens and bathrooms. Together, we dig deep into the innovative solutions that can improve usability in the kitchen - from induction stoves to smart fridges. How often do we think about the dimensions of our refrigerators? Probably not as often as we s...

Advancing Access & Equity: Challenging Employment Barriers through housing.

For National Disability Employment Awareness Month, join us for an enlightening conversation with Adith Thummalapalli, an ingenious engineer with a disability who guides us through the complex maze of housing accessibility. We examine the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act Section 504, and the Fair Housing Act, spotlighting their shortcomings when it comes to private residences. Aditha and I challenge the concept of "barrier-free" and argue against the necessity of door ...

Maryland: 4 Pioneering Disability Homeownership and Housing Accessibility Resources

Learn how the state of Maryland is one of the best states for disability homeownership.  Intrigued? Join me, Angela Fox, in this insightful discussion as we debunk the conventional reliance on the HUD 203K Rehab Loan and spotlight the unique benefits and flexibility of the Home Ability loan program. This isn't just about borrowing up to 95% of a home's value or the deferred zero-interest rate loan for closing costs, it's about broadening horizons and championing inclusivity in housing for th...

A Close Look at the Accessibility of a Luxury Hotel in Orlando

Ever wondered how accessible the Caribbean Royal Hotel in Orlando, Florida truly is? For its first anniversary of #NationalAccessibleAirTravelDay,  we're diving deep into every nook and cranny - from the thermostat to the shower gel placement to the furniture layout - to bring you a thorough understanding of the hotel's temporary and long-term accessibility features. We discuss the thoughtful designs such as the lower height placement of thermostats and outlets and bountiful spacing for whee...

The pursuit of accessible spaces: Sandy Interview

Ever wondered how someone with a disability navigates the world of accessible home ownership? All successful disabled individuals can find their success from hard work and the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Join us as we chat with Sandy, a quadriplegic woman, who shares her journey from adapting her childhood home to her college dorm experience and the pursuit of accessible living spaces. Listen and learn how Sandy faced the challenges of modifying a house or a condo for accessibil...

The pursuit of accessible spaces: Sandy Redmon Interview

Ever wondered how someone with a disability navigates the world of accessible home ownership? All successful disabled individuals can find their success from hard work and the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Join us as we chat with Sandy, a quadriplegic woman, who shares her journey from adapting her childhood home to her college dorm experience and the pursuit of accessible living spaces. Listen and learn how Sandy faced the challenges of modifying a house or a condo for accessibil...

Wet Rooms: Game Changer for wheelchair users

What if you could transform your bathroom into a fully accessible space without sacrificing style or functionality? Our knowledgeable guest, Karin Wilson, shares her experience and insights on accessible wet room showers and how they have changed her life. As a power wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, Karin has lived in multiple accessible homes and has even designed her own functional wet room showers, allowing her to shower comfortably and conveniently. Karin is also a travel blogger and...

Ron Klein interview; Grandfather of Possibilities

May 18th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day;  is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments. Ron Klein, the grandfather of possibilities, developed all kinds of inventions that impacted people with disabilities, including the braille, the TTY, and the MLS.  Listen to my interview.  Cush Pocket, a proud sponsor, is a disabled owned company that sells wheelchair bags. Get $1 off by ...

Epsd #3 of Season 2: 2 SheHeros in disability housing

      For Women's history month, this episode will talk about 2 SheHeros who made an impact on accessible housing and beyond for the disability community; Judy Heumann and Eleanor Smith.  Mrs. Heumann was considered the godmother of the disability rights movement and recently passed away. She along with Ed Roberts, helped initiated the Independent Living Movement; providing the foundation for an accessible environment and housing. I talk about the privilege I had in meeting her during the la...

7 Websites AI Podcast

1.23 Amazon to Go Stores

In this episode, Amazon to Go Stores and Wheel Under Stovetop will be examined regarding the accessibility features that may or may not exist. Amazon to Go Stores allows customers to buy products without using any type of checkout through smart technology sensors. Using an Amazon app, all products that are taken from the store will be billed to your account. But can this new Grab and Go process be accessible to all abilities? According to an article by one of my favorite websites assistivete...

Transportation options; the glue between health and housing for the disable community

Outside of affordable health care, the second most important issue for the disability community is transportation! Transportation is needed for medical appointments, work, and life in general. The third most important issue is housing; so another way of thinking about access to transportation is not the second most important issue, it is the glue between health and the home.  But what kind of transportation? Traditional Taxi; mini vans with modifications and wheelchair transfer board frien...

Disability Tax Benefits # 4 of 2022

April is always a month of the excitement of spring cleaning and bruising up your home for outdoor living around the corner.  But April does have one single gloomy day - tax day. With all of the tax incentives, you may imagine that disability taxes are plentiful. While the disability community is diverse in the type of disabilities and abilities, federal tax breaks take an extremely limited view on defining a person with a disability.  In this episode the following questions will be addresse...

Ramping Up your Home: Episode 3 of 2022

The month of March has two important dates. March 1st is International Wheelchair Day. March 12th is the 34th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act amendment that made it officially effective that disabilities are a protected basis; no more grace year.  Making this month all about wheelchair housing. One of the most fundamental modifications for wheelchair users is ramps. Ramps are more than just for wheelchair users, ramps have been used by the able body community as well.  One of the crucia...

How HOA can interfer on disable black homeowners? Espd 2 of 2022

Today, for black history month, I will be talking about the impact on HOAs have on disable black individuals in homeownership.  60% of newly built single-family homes are part of a homeowners association and selling about 4% higher than those without an HOA, they are probably here to stay. Not only are HOAs here to stay, so is the continued discrimination. Historically HOAs found their footing in the 1960s as a way for white neighborhoods to prevent people of color from moving in by creati...

Wheel-Able Score for your Neighborhood 1 of 2022

Location, location, location. Those three words summarize how important location is when it comes to real estate. Understanding the connection between housing and the location within the neighborhood has always been the focus for the disability community because of what services are available in the community near housing and even a finer point; creating walkable sidewalks. Now real estate listings include some scores regarding walkability and other community-based scores. In fact, Redfin, Z...

Holiday Kitchen Espd 10. 2021

Kitchen renovations can be expensive between demolition costs and prices for top-of-the-line appliances. Rather than fight this fact, I am going to provide you with 7 non-construction and low-cost changes to make a kitchen universally designed and accessible for wheelchair users: 1.  Over the stovetop mirror 2.  Upper Kitchen Cabinets 3.  Food preparation station 4.  3 Features of sink faucet  5.  Sink Clearance 6.  Floating Shelves  7.   Kitchen handles    At the end of the podcast, I wil...

Cents and Sensability; Disability Finances

October is Disability Employment Celebration month.  Even when a disable worker finds a good paying job, it doesn't solve all of the economic challenges a disable person faces . The fact is finances for the Disability community is just different but but you don’t have to take my word for it, read Cents and Sensibility by the  Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF). Cents and Sensibility is a wonderful 84-page resource book that provides financial guidance for the disability comm...

Cents and Sensability; Disability Finances

October is Disability Employment Celebration month.  Even when a disable worker finds a good paying job, it doesn't solve all of the economic challenges a disable person faces . The fact is finances for the Disability community is just different but but you don’t have to take my word for it, read Cents and Sensibility by the  Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF). Cents and Sensibility is a wonderful 84-page resource book that provides financial guidance for the disability comm...

Fair Housing Act; investing in rental modifications can help save for homeownership

 September is the anniversary of the Fair House Act Amendment that finally included disabilities in 1998. If you are renting and have mobility impairments, you need to know what changes you can request to meet your disability needs under the FHA. In this episode, you will learn about:  What type of homes does FHA cover? What is the difference between Accommodation and a Modification?  Examples of both an Accommodation and a Modification?  How to get your landlord to pay for modifications...

Architectural Barriers Act & ADA Floor Plans

The Architectural Barriers Act  #ABA is the godfather of all #disability accessible buildings. They say, and I agree, that you can’t know what tomorrow might look like without knowing what has happened in the past. The history of accessible housing for the disability community has been a piecemeal approach and is often misleading to its coverage. You have probably heard about the Fair Housing Act because the law covers both rent and homeownership; it sure to cover everyone’s housing situatio...

Architectural Barriers Act & ADA Floor Plans

The Architectural Barriers Act  #ABA is the godfather of all #disability accessible buildings. They say, and I agree, that you can’t know what tomorrow might look like without knowing what has happened in the past. The history of accessible housing for the disability community has been a piecemeal approach and is often misleading to its coverage. You have probably heard about the Fair Housing Act because the law covers both rent and homeownership; it sure to cover everyone’s housing situatio...

Home Office and the ADA

On this epsidoe for Accessability Is Home Podcast: I discuss that this month is the 31st anniversary of the passing of the original Americans with Disabilities Act. July 26th is considered a second independence day for one out of five people with disabilities.  Despite the ADA literally creating freedom, it may surprise many to hear that it has very little impact on housing for the disability community. The ADA only requires accessible (not affordable) housing if it (1) the housing is open ...

30 Days after 30th Anniversary of ADA

This episode of the Accessibility Is Home podcast, continues the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the ADA (July 2020) by looking at other laws that have been passed after the original passing of the historical law.  The ABLE Act is discussed in greater detail and how it can assist in saving for a home.  The Supreme Court case that was passed five years after the ADA in 1990, Olmstead, is discussed as the first step of deinstitutionalizing people with disabilities and put focus that hou...

Perfect Holiday Score

This episode a brief overview on why it is not a good idea to try and just use open houses without planning your house hunting experience as a disabled buyer is not the best approach. Planning the entire buying experience is important and looking at finances is the first step. A discussion about the new FICO score is also presented as a key to obtaining that loan.  Want more. Check out my website for my book and blog: https://www.horizontalhouses.com/     Cush Pocket, a proud sponsor, is a...

I can and I will

Click Here for Free Handout!    This episode discusses how the idea of the single-story can prevent people with disabilities from believing that they can't be homeowners because so much attention is made on one aspect of the disability community - Voucher 8. A discussion is made that the disability community is complex. The goal is to debunk the fear of disability homeownership. The episode also provides a Rosetta stone of disability housing design to help navigate looking into buying a home...

ADA turns 30yrs Esp. 1

The first show of Accessibility is Home podcast was originally recorded in July 2020, for the 30th anniversary of the ADA.  The listener will get a brief overview of the ADA and what portions relate to housing. More importantly a discussion about creating a strategy you should between the employment that the ADA protects from discrimination and seeking housing assistance. A discussion about the ABLE Act account, disability trusts, and other resources to buy a home. Finally, why it is so impo...

Black History Month and handicap homeownership

In this special episode of the Accessibility Is Home podcast, we examine in honor of Black History month, what experiences might people with disabilities who are African American have when exploring their homeownership opportunities. Specifically through the eyes of the fabulous Ms. Candace Joseph, host of the “Business Knowledge Broker Hour” Radio show tells her own experience of looking for housing as an African American before becoming a member of the disability community. She then also t...

Black History Month and handicap homeownership

In this special episode of the Accessibility Is Home podcast, we examine in honor of Black History month, what experiences might people with disabilities who are African American have when exploring their homeownership opportunities. Specifically through the eyes of the fabulous Ms. Candace Joseph, host of the “Business Knowledge Broker Hour” Radio show tells her own experience of looking for housing as an African American before becoming a member of the disability community. She then also t...