50 years of supporting the lives of people with disabilities

Columbus, Ohio (W.C.M.H.) – May is Mobility Awareness Month, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 12% of Americans live with a disability that affects mobility.

People living with disabilities need more accessible housing options. While many homes and buildings have been retrofitted to accommodate the Americans with Disabilities Act, it's rare to find a place custom-built for people in wheelchairs, and Columbus has one.

Nelson Brody finds a way every day.

“Before the injury, I never would have imagined how difficult things would be,” Brody said.

He uses a modified car to get around the city in a different way, adapted to a world that is still adjusting to itself.

Eleven years ago, Brody suffered paralysis in his legs due to a car accident. He doesn't remember the crash or what happened next.

“I was ready to think about what I could do in the future and not worry too much about what happened in the past,” he said.

For the past 10 years, he has lived in an apartment run by an organization called Creative Living. This is one of his two facilities near the Ohio State University campus designed specifically for people who use wheelchairs.

“We lowered the countertop and installed a roll-in shower,” Brody said. “All the doors and handles are perfectly adapted. There's a cutout under the sink, so you can actually get inside, wash the dishes, and do a lot of things yourself.” It's very difficult to do that in an apartment.

Creative Living operates a total of 34 apartments next to COTA stops, with resident assistants available 24 hours a day if you need assistance. Despite the daily stresses of living with a disability, Brody is moving forward.

“It’s made my life so much easier to have everything so accessible,” he said. “We also have other residents here to help us get through new situations that we haven’t dealt with in a wheelchair before.”

Creative Living is a nonprofit program in its 50th year.^th The facility, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, is one of the few of its kind in the United States.

“All of America is in crisis,” said Creative Living Executive Director Mike Lightbody. “Housing for people with disabilities is difficult to find, let alone suitable for wheelchair users.”

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/50-years-of-helping-those-with-disabilities-live-their-lives/ 50 years of supporting the lives of people with disabilities