50 years of helping those with disabilities live their lives
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – May is Mobility Awareness Month with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting 12% of Americans living with a mobility-impacting disability.
Those living with a disability need more accessible housing options. Many homes and buildings are retrofitted to accommodate the Americans with Disabilities Act, but to find places that are custom-built for people in a wheelchairs are rare, with Columbus being home to one.
Every day, Nelson Brody finds a way.
“Before my injury, I would have never guessed how difficult some things are,” Brody said.
He uses a modified car to get around town in another way he’s adapted to a world that’s still adapting.
Eleven years ago, Brody suffered paralysis in his legs after a car crash. He does not remember that crash or the days after it.
"I kind of was ready to figure out what I can do going forward and I didn't really worry too much about what happened in the past,” he said.
For a decade now, he’s lived in an apartment operated by an organization called Creative Living. It’s one of two facilities near Ohio State University’s campus specifically designed for people using a wheelchair.
“Lowered countertops, roll-in showers,” Brody said. “All the doors and handles are completely adapted. There’s a cut-out under the sink so I can actually get in and I can wash dishes and I can do a lot of things myself. It would be very difficult to do in other apartments.”
Creative Living operates 34 total apartments located next to a COTA stop and resident assistants are available 24 hours a day if someone needs assistance. Despite the daily stresses of living life with a disability, Brody's propelling forward.
“The accessibility of everything makes my life a lot easier,” he said. “Also having other residents here that can help kind of navigate new situations that I've never dealt with in a wheelchair before.”
Creative Living is a non-profit program marking its 50th anniversary this year and is among the few facilities of its kind in the United States.
“We have a crisis throughout the US,” Creative Living Executive Director Mike Lightbody said. “Housing for people with disabilities is a challenge to be able to find housing, let alone make sure that it's adapted for wheelchair users.”