Without a handrail, she felt trapped in her apartment. We helped her out. #AdvocacyMatters
August 17, 2018 / #AdvocacyMatters
Meryl's apartment had three steps at the front door but no handrail. Because she is legally blind and was still recovering from two strokes, she didn't feel safe navigating them on her own. She had resorted to paying someone to bring in her mail and was struggling to pay her rent and water bill - not because she couldn't afford them, but because she couldn't get out to get the money orders her landlord required. She called DRO to see if we could help her advocate for herself.
A DRO attorney contacted the property manager and explained that Meryl felt trapped in her apartment and needed accommodations they were required to provide. The attorney also told Meryl how to request an accommodation from the U.S. Postal Service to have her mail delivered directly to her door. Within two weeks, Meryl reported that her apartment complex had taken the optional route of installing a handrail, and that the post office was bringing her the mail, as requested. She is grateful that we "lit a fire under them" that will allow her to get out into her community again.
Read more about Housing Accommodations and Modifications for People with Disabilities in our Self-Advocacy Resource Center.