Accessibility Is Home podcast: Disability-Informed Real Estate Conversations.

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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 es...

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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). Ce...

Send a text  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? ...

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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 dis...

Send a text 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, Olms...

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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. Th...

Send a text 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...

Send a text 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 look...