Foster Twp. house specially constructed for disabled veteran: Foster Twp. house specially constructed for disabled veteran

By Mary Therese Biebel

Apr. 5, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) --
on't expect narrow hallways in a certain new home in the Hickory Hills development in Foster Township. Instead, look for an archway that's at least 4 feet wide, offering generous room for a wheelchair to glide from the bedroom to the living area.

Rather than knobs you'd have to grasp and turn, the door handles on the modular home are the kind you simply push down -- much easier for a hand stiffened by arthritis or injury.

When the kitchen is complete, the appliances will have knobs on the front -- easy to reach from a sitting position -- instead of on top where a person in a wheelchair might not have easy access.

All these features, Rich McDonough said, will make life easier for a disabled veteran who was prepared to give his or her all in service to the United States.

"This is our chance to give something in return," said McDonough, who founded the nonprofit organization America Responds With Love during the 1980s.

Since its inception, America Responds With Love has collected contributions for victims of hurricanes, tsunamis and domestic violence. It has replaced shelters destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and matched physicians willing to provide free medical care with needy patients in California.

Now McDonough has devised a plan to help a yet-to-be-chosen veteran in Pennsylvania. Through his organization, he hopes to provide a $123,000 home, at a subsidized cost, to an individual who meets several requirements, including military service since April 1983 and an honorable discharge.

Area residents are eager to help make it happen, McDonough said, explaining that a well-drilling company from Lehighton arranged to drill the well on the property for free, and a Realtor from the White Haven area has agreed to represent the interests of the veteran for free.

A water laboratory agreed to donate the cost of well testing, a crane company (NYSE:CR) discounted the use of its equipment, and other local people have contributed money, which is important, McDonough said, to reduce the amount of the mortgage the veteran eventually will have.

"This is a great way to continue Mike's mission, to do something for people who have gone into harm's way," said Jack Cleary of Dallas Township, whose family made a cash donation to America Responds With Love in honor of their son, First Lt. Michael Cleary.

The younger Cleary was killed in Iraq in December 2005 when insurgent forces detonated an improvised explosive device.

"Mike was a good and decent person, with all kinds of athletic and intelligence abilities," his father said. "In my last conversation with him, he called to say awards for his men were not coming through. Mike wanted to take care of his guys, and we wanted to continue that.

"I talked this over with (my wife) Marianne, our daughters and Mike's fiancee, and they agreed it was the right thing to do," Cleary said.

"What the vets are doing is the hard part. We have the easy part," said Ken Lothier, who suggested to his employer, Duane Moyer Well Drilling Inc. of Lehighton, that the company drill and install a pump at the property.

Other individuals or corporations willing to make a contribution to the home in Hickory Hills are invited to choose something from a list at www.americarespondswithlove.org, where they'll be able to earmark contributions for anything from a refrigerator to artwork on the walls to an American flag for the exterior.

"Any contribution, great or small, is welcome," said McDonough, a former television reporter from Wichita, Kan., who found a new calling in matching people with specific needs and people who want to help.

The veteran chosen needn't have any ties to Luzerne County, but that's where this house has been set -- off Route 940, between White Haven and Freeland -- after donors presented the land to America Responds With Love.

"They decided to retire somewhere else," McDonough said.

McDonough is proud of the conveniences of the two-bedroom, two-bath house, from the light switches low enough to reach from a wheelchair to the location of the laundry, which would be convenient for anyone.

"We'll put the washer and dryer between the bedroom and the bathroom because where do most dirty clothes come from?" he asked rhetorically.

McDonough invites disabled veterans to apply to live in the home.

Among the eligibility requirements, they should have served in the military since April 18, 1983, sustained injury during their service and received an honorable discharge.

They should have a medically verified need for housing that is handicapped accessible, and they should have a disability status of 80 percent or greater, according to the standards of the Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States of America or the Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Income restrictions are a maximum of $43,200 for one person, $57,600 for two and $67,200 for three or more. The eligible veteran also must be able to make a downpayment and pay closing fees at a financial institution of his or her choosing -- but will not have to pay the entire cost of the home.

America Responds With Love is prepared to take a second mortgage on the home to subsidize part of the purchase price. The veteran might end up with a $99,500 mortgage, McDonough said.

For more information, McDonough may be reached at richard@respondwithlove, at 610-731-HOPE or 1-321-AMERICA.

The Luzerne Foundation already has accepted contributions on behalf of the project. Additional contributions may be sent to America Responds With Love Inc., in care of the Luzerne Bank, 118 Main St., Luzerne PA 18709.

THE GROWTH OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN

UNIVERSAL DESIGN: KEY PRINCIPLES

The principles of universal design were employed when constructing the America Responds With Love house in Foster Township.

Universal design, according to udeducation.com, is an approach to the design of all products and environments taken to make them as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.

According to aarp.org, universal design has an ever-expanding history:

"Barrier-free" homes initially had their problems, the site says. "At first many of them were ugly. So most people didn't want to live in them. As a result, builders didn't construct many of them. That made accessible homes hard to find. If you could find one, you probably couldn't afford it.

"It's taken many years, but housing designers have found a better way."

That's universal design.

Homes that have universal-design features look like other homes but are much easier to use, aarp.org reports.

Universal design is getting popular for two reasons, the site says: "First, it looks nice. People with disabilities don't feel like they are settling for an ugly house. And people who don't have disabilities think universal homes look and work much better than the old models.

"Second, more people want universal housing. This means the old ways of designing homes just don't work anymore.

"We all want more comfort in our homes. Opening doors with arms full of groceries is as difficult at 30 as it is at 70."People live longer than they used to. More of us are living with disabilities. The traditional home that serves you well when you are healthy won't always take care of you when you break a leg or hurt your back. Younger people want a home that will take care of them when they are sick or injured. People now realize that they need homes that will grow old with them."

Here are some of the more common universal design features, according to aarp.org:

No-step entry: No one needs to use stairs to get into a universal home or into the home's main rooms.

One-story living: Places to eat, use the bathroom and sleep are all on one barrier-free level.

Wide doorways: Doorways that are 32-36 inches wide let wheelchairs pass through. They also make it easy to move big things in and out of the house.

Wide hallways: Hallways are 36-42 inches wide. That way, everyone and everything moves more easily from room to room.

Extra floor space: Everyone feels less cramped. And people in wheelchairs have more space to turn.

Floors and bathtubs with non-slip surfaces help everyone stay on their feet. They're not just for the frail. The same goes for handrails on steps and grab bars in bathrooms.

Thresholds flush with the floor make it easy for a wheelchair to get through a doorway. They also keep others from tripping.

Good lighting helps people with poor vision. And it helps everyone else see better, too.

Lever door handles and rocker light switches are great for people with poor hand strength, but others like them too. Try using these devices when your arms are full of packages. You'll never go back to knobs or standard switches.

When you build a closet, add some adjustable brackets. Later on, you can use those brackets to move clothing rods and shelves to a better height. This tiny investment helps a closet grow along with a child. It also means you can use the closet even if you start using a wheelchair.

"This is a great way to continue Mike's mission, to do something for people who have gone into harm's way."

Jack Cleary of Dallas Township
Whose family made a cash donation to America Responds With Love in honor of their son, First Lt. Michael Cleary

Newstex ID: KRTB-0215-24292118