Home Modifications for Cerebral Palsy

Children and adults with cerebral palsy live with disabilities their
entire lives, but these do not have to limit them. It starts in the
home, where families can make modifications that help a disabled
child do anything that any other child would typically do, from being
able to get to any part of the house to washing their own hands or
brushing their teeth.

Today, most advocates for people with disabilities describe a

concept of the home, as well as other environments, having barrier-
free accessibility. This means that a person is only disabled to the
extent that there are barriers to their functioning.

If the barriers are eliminated, such as providing a ramp instead of

stairs for someone who uses a wheelchair, then the disability
disappears. All parents want their children to have
opportunities, and for those with cerebral palsy, that means
living barrier-free. While parents cannot control all
environments, they can control the home and eliminate its
obstacles by implementing modifications.

What Are Home Modifications?

Home modifications are any changes made to the home that

are done to remove the environmental barriers limiting
someone with disabilities. When there are barriers in the home,
it keeps a child from being independent and promotes
isolation and a lack of participation. Any modifications that can
accomplish the removal of these barriers improve a child’s life in all
of these ways.

Examples of these modifications may include adding a ramp to the

front of a home to allow accessibility with a wheelchair or
walker, a lift for interior stairs, a lowered sink in the bathroom,
or even just spacing furniture in such a way that someone with
a mobility device can get around easily.

Physical Modifications for Homes

For a child with cerebral palsy, physical modifications inside the

home are crucial to eliminating obstacles. Most children with this
condition experience some degree of physical disability, from being
unable to walk at all to needing assistance with walking and other
movements.

A home needs to be as accessible to this child as any other person

living in the home, and that means some physical modifications
may need to be constructed.

Some of physical modifications may be simple, like using rugs

on hard floors with no-slip backings to prevent slips and falls.
They may also be more complicated, such as installing a
lighting system that signals when the doorbell or phone has
rung for a child with hearing limitations. Here are some of the
important considerations you need to make when modifying the
interior of your home for a disabled child:

 Access into and out of the home

 Access throughout the entire home, which may mean
eliminating steps or providing devices to go up and down steps
 Hallways and doorways that are sufficiently wide
 Easy access to at least one bathroom and the ability to use all
parts of the bathroom
 Hard floors or low-pile carpeting
 Access to outlets and light switches
 The ability to open and close doors and windows
 Grab bars with reinforced walls
 Lever handles on doors or automatic openers
 Appropriate counter height in the bathroom and kitchen

Modifications and Legal Housing Rights

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 was amended in 1988 to include

language that would prohibit discrimination in housing against
people with disabilities. This meant that, after 1991, it became
illegal to construct a multifamily dwelling, like an apartment building,
that was inaccessible to someone with a disability.  [1]

In 1991, the Fair Housing Act Guidelines were issued by the

Department of Housing and Urban Development. These outlined
the adaptations required for all buildings to be considered
accessible  , including:
[2]
  Access to common areas.
 Kitchens and bathrooms usable for someone with a disability
 Access into the building from the outside
 Access into a unit
 Doors wide enough for wheelchairs
 Outlets, light switches, and other controls placed at accessible
locations
 Walls reinforced to hold grab bars

Because of these federal laws and guidelines, parents of children

with disabilities like cerebral palsy also have been given a right to
fair housing. You have a right not to be discriminated against when
renting a home, which means you can’t be turned down because of
your child’s disability, charged more because of it, or be offered a
unit that does not meet the Fair Housing Act Guidelines.

Universal Design

Universal design is the concept that buildings and other

environments, and even products, should be constructed with
universal access in mind. This means designing products and
spaces to be accessible by anyone with any disability or age-related
limitations.

The term was coined, and the idea promoted by architect Ronald L.
Mace. In addition to making everything accessible, the concept of
universal design is to plan and construct spaces and products that
also consider aesthetics. In other words, they are usable and
accessible but also aesthetically pleasing.

Universal design is based on several principles that families can

use to help guide the modifications they make to their homes for
universal access:

 Equitable use, which means that the design of a space can be

safely and effectively utilized by all people, disabled or not.
 Spaces and products should be flexible and allow for varied us
by different users.
 Designs should be as simple as possible and intuitive.
Unneeded complexity should always be eliminated.
 Designs should contain built-in safety features to minimize
harm by preventing accidents.
 Designs need to be easily understood by people of all ability
levels.
 Environments should be designed with enough space and
products of the appropriate size to allow anyone to reach and
use them.
 Designs should require minimal effort to operate a product or
use a space.

Financing Home Modifications

For many parents, having a child with cerebral palsy comes with
costs that they never imagined. These include home modifications,
and they can add up quickly. You can privately fund these
specialized alterations with your own money or with loans, but there
are also sources of funding, such as grants and government monies
that can assist with these expenses.

There are property improvement loans funded through the

government, which are low-cost loans used for home renovations to
accommodate a disabled person. In addition, there may be tax
deductions available for these types of home improvements.

Some examples of financial resources for disability-related home

modifications include the Federal Housing Administration (see
below for additional information), Access Home Modification
Program, the Center for Accessible Housing, the United Cerebral
Palsy Association, and Centers for Independent Living. You can
also check with your local and state governments and community
organizations to seek additional funding.

Making changes to your home means giving your child greater

access and independence. These, in turn, will provide enhanced
self-esteem and confidence, promote inclusiveness, and
innumerable additional benefits. Making changes may seem like a
lot of work, but the benefits make it worth the effort.

HUD Homes and Modifications

As mentioned earlier, finding housing that meets the unique needs

of people with cerebral palsy can be expensive. The U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) exists to
help people in financial need to live in affordable homes and
provides accommodations and modification options for disabled
people. One way this is done is through developmental
vouchers.   The vouchers cover:
[3]

-New Section 8 residential construction

-Housing assisted under Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959

-Section 8 “substantial rehabilitation projects”

– Section 221(d)(3) of the National Housing Act bearing an interest

rate under Section 221(d)(5) for financed houses under loan or
mortgage

-Section 236 of the National Housing Act housing

-Section 8 HUD-owned projects

Federal recognizes people with disabilities as “any person who has

a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more
major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded
as having such an impairment.”

You’ll need to apply directly (see sources) for a voucher for your
eligibility to be determined, as cerebral palsy covers a broad
spectrum, from extremely mild to very severe.
In general, vouchers are made available to people with disabilities,
as well as those who care for people with disabilities. These
vouchers are only available for families with low income who meet
the income guideline qualifications. It is the family’s responsibility to
find housing themselves to meet the requirements for a voucher.

The vouchers cover “30 percent of family income and PHA (Public
Housing Authority) -determined payment standard or gross rent,
whichever is lower.” To apply and for additional requirements
information, contact your local PHA.

Eligibility for People with Disabilities Buying HUD Homes

The following requirements must be met if you or a family member

are looking to buy a HUD home for the first time:

-No family member can have present ownership “interest in a

residence” during the last 3 years. Exceptions can be made for
single parents or “displaced homemakers” who owned a home
while they were still married.

-There must be a person with a qualified disability in the family with

no exception.

Minimum requirements for disabled families:

-Monthly SSI benefits should be multiplied by 12 to get the
minimum income requirement (Examples: individual income:
$710/mo. x 12 = $8,520/Couples: $1,066 x 12 = $12,792).

-Eligibility is also based on HUD income limits or PHA minimum

income standards. Other requirements may apply if families have
not been prequalified or pre-approved for home financing that
already meets PHA requirements.