The driving force behind accessABILITY’s mission are the people that we serve. As Independent Living Advocates, we work with our community in their own environment to set and achieve personal goals. For one of Barb’s consumers, that meant adding in some home modifications to be able to enjoy time outdoors with his family.

Meet Michael! With two young children, Michael and his wife like to spend time outside playing with their two young children. Michael uses the back deck often when playing with his kids or going to the garage. Being blind, they were concerned that he would accidentally fall off their back deck since it did not have a railing.

before and after photos of deck railing

accessABILITY Independent Living Advocate Barb Dosch advocated on behalf of Michael presenting a request for home modification to the back deck to install a railing. Thanks to Barb’s work, the railing was approved at no cost to Michael and his family.

Handyman Don Ralston completed the project for Michael. “Don was great to work with! He took the time to hear our concerns, thoughts, and ideas for the projects he was completing. Don was consistently timely and made sure to keep us up-to-date on any developments. The end products have been wonderful. Our home is far safer for our family!”

This is not Don’s first project working alongside accessABILITY. As a volunteer with accessABILITY, Don builds decks, ramps, stairs, railings, and more that will help homes become more accessible for homeowners. You can see more about Don’s work here: