Modifying Homes for Children with Disabilities

We want our homes to be safe, relaxing, and comfortable for our children. Fortunately we have more control over things in our own homes than we do in the outside world.

If your child has a disability or special health care needs, creating a safe, comfortable home might take some special modifications. Maybe your child needs to be able to move through your home in a wheelchair. Maybe they need a way to get themselves up and down stairs safely. Maybe they need easy-to-turn knobs on doors and sinks. Or maybe they need a break from the overwhelming sights and sounds in the outside world.

Making your home accessible can help your child be comfortable and use your home safely. It might also give your entire family a sense of freedom and security.

The big questions are: How will I pay for changes? And what do I need to change?

Paying for Modifications

It can be expensive to modify a home. Some changes require a lot of work. Others might be standard on a newer home.

Here are some ideas to get help paying for them:

• Waiver programs might fund some modifications. These waivers have some cost restrictions and possible exclusions.
• The United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Home Repair Loan and Grant Program provides loans and grants to very low-income homeowners.
• Texas Ramps builds wheelchair ramps at no cost to families.
• Tax deductions for medical expenses are an option to consider. You might be able to deduct modification costs from your federal taxes.
• Access Home Modification Program offers interest-free loans for home modification.
• Rebuilding Together is a national nonprofit that does free home modifications and repairs for people with disabilities.
• Christmas in Action is a volunteer program that does home repairs and modifications for people with disabilities or special health care needs in their communities.
• HomeFreeHome is a group of volunteer architects who design the necessary modifications to make a home accessible to a person with a disability.
• New Horizons Un-Limited has a list of other national programs that might help you pay for home modifications.

What If I Don’t Own My Home?

• You don’t have to own your own home to make modifications. The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1988, says that a landlord can’t even ask about your child’s disability or special health care needs and that you are allowed to make reasonable modifications to your rented home.
• But, in Texas, you’re the one who’s expected to pay for it. Your landlord might ask you to put money into an account to reverse the modifications to their original state when you leave. However, by the rules of the Fair Housing Act, you shouldn’t have to change anything if your modifications won’t get in the way of the next renter (like reinforcing a wall or widening a door).
• If you think your landlord isn’t being fair or working with you in the right way, you can file a legal complaint.

How Do I Make My Home Wheelchair Accessible?

There are a number of modifications that can make a home wheelchair accessible. They range from the location of electrical sockets to the design of sinks and showers, to reinforcing walls with support bars or lifts.

Here are some standards for home design:

• If you are designing a new home, your contractor needs to follow the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design.
• For ideas to make your existing home accessible, see this article from Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (formerly, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago).

Creating a Friendly Home for a Child With Sensory Issues

• If your child is fascinated by things you don’t want them to touch, consider putting those things where your child can’t find them for a while, until they lose interest.
• Put very few things up on your walls.
• Minimize florescent lighting.
• Notice the colors your child pays the most attention to, and use those colors when you really want your child to pay attention to something. For example, you could decorate your home with very neutral colors, but use plates in their favorite color to make eating more interesting. Use learning toys with bright colors. Or pick a more exciting color for a comforting blanket or special stuffed animal.
• Run the dishwasher, vacuum, or other loud appliances after your child is asleep.
• Turn off music or the television when it is just background noise and not your child’s main focus.
• Think about using sound-reducing materials in places where you spend a lot of time.