Ramps.org Launches An Online Directory of Free Ramp Builders
Ramps.org has created a directory of community service organizations that provide free or low cost ramp building services for members of their community that cannot obtain them on their own for financial reasons.
Online, August 28, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Ramps.org has spent the past several years creating a directory of community service organizations that provide free or low cost ramp building services for members of their community that cannot obtain them on their own for financial reasons. That directory is now available on the Ramps.org website at ramps.org/free-ramps.htm. According to Thom Disch the CEO of Handiramp.com, "This project was started several years ago when we discovered that many of the people calling our offices for home access ramps would describe their need and then explain that they didn't have the funds to pay for a ramp system. Our customer service people, trying to find funding for these people who had such a desperate need, researched and complied lists about community service organizations that use grants, low cost financing and a variety of means to secure ramps for people who could not afford them. As far as we could tell these organizations and lists were never put into one central location until now."
Providing home modifications for people with limited mobility is one area of medical need that has been overlooked by all health insurance programs, and continues to be neglected by the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). Many health insurance programs will pay for a wheelchair or scooter, sometimes valued at $20,000 or more, however, health insurance will not provide funding for any home modifications, forcing the person needing a ramp to pay for it themselves. Since many of the people who need a wheelchair or scooter are on disability or fixed incomes, they often don't have the funds to pay for these modifications. As a result, these people become prisoners in their own homes, not able to go outside even to doctor's appointments, because they can't get their wheelchair or scooter down the front steps.
"At HandiRamp we realized that hundreds of community organizations were stepping up and providing services and meeting the needs of the people that were under-served by the insurance companies. These community organizations and volunteers need to be celebrated. That was a big part of the reason for creating the online Ramp Builder directory," explained Disch. "We also realized that no one organization could meet the needs of everyone, so by building this directory of organizations we've increased the opportunity to help more people all around the country."
Ramps.org has collected data on over 100 organizations that provide support for people that need a ramp for their home. The directory is organized by state and has at least one ramp builder for each state. This is by no means a comprehensive list of support organizations and there are always new organizations that are being formed. If you know of an organization that will build a ramp system for a person or family in need please let us know by filling out the form at http://www.ramps.org/suggest-resource.htm
Ramps.org is a free resource providing information on home accessibility and ramping systems. HandiRamp and the HandiRamp Foundation maintain and provide funding for the Ramps.org website as part of their community service efforts. The mission for Ramps.org is to create access for everyone, regardless of the ability to pay. For more information on Ramps.org please contact Wanda Oehrli (wanda@ramps.org) at 847-680-7700.
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