People Inc.
Increasing Independence & Safety Through EMods
Jul 26, 2024
By: Roxane Albond-Buchner, People Inc. Communications Director
A person with a disability sometimes faces challenges in their home that make it hard to navigate everyday living safely, or that limit their ability to be independent. This can include anything from showers to hard-to-reach countertops to doorways, cars, beds, seating or more.
That is where People Inc.’s Environmental Modifications (EMods) Department can help. The EMod Department is the only program serving both the Western New York and Rochester areas offering project management and oversight services that help eligible people with intellectual and developmental disabilities work through safety and other issues in their living area.
The People Inc. EMods team makes accessing modifications easy by guiding people and their care coordinators through a complicated approval process with the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). A key component to approval is that the modification must link directly to an eligible diagnosis and solve a safety concern or barrier to independence. People Inc. secures funding so that pre-screened architects may design modifications and contractors can complete the work.
Helping Families Thrive
The Lee family of Buffalo has gone through this process twice with People Inc. as the needs of their now 14-year-old daughter Yuna have changed. Jae Lee said most homes are not built to be accessible to people who use a wheelchair and lifts. When they first moved in, the Lee family was using a ramp into the front door that they felt was unsafe. People Inc. assisted the Lees with a comprehensive assessment of their home environment and in requesting a platform lift and an accessible landing in the garage, a ceiling lift system, door widening, and solid floor surfaces for rolling accessibility.
Because Yuna is completely dependent on others for her mobility, the modifications to our home have provided us the ability to be together. We were fortunate to have found the team at People Inc."
-Jae Lee, Parent
What EMods Offer
Project management services in the home can include changes such as:
- Ramps
- Wheelchair lifts
- Lowered countertops
- Barrier-free showers
- Widened doorways
- Grab bars
- Automatic or manual door openers
- Ceiling tracks
- Fences
Assistive Technology devices can help increase safety, accessibility, and personal successes, with tools such as such as:
- Hygiene seats
- Shaker beds
- Service animals
- Specialized seating
Vehicle modifications can be made to a car, truck, van, or SUV that allow access to the community – such as:
- Modified driver controls
- Ramps
- Lift assist seating
- Securement systems
Want to find out if you or your loved one qualify for environmental modifications, assistive technology or vehicle modifications? Learn more about the program & apply.