Nearly 485,000 Iowans have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. In an effort to improve the lives of those affected by arthritis and increase public awareness of the disease, the Arthritis Foundation of Iowa Chapter and Hubbell Homes built House 2000, a barrier-free home, designed for individuals of all physical abilities. Upon completion, House 2000 was used as an educational model and then sold with all net proceeds going to the Arthritis Foundation Iowa Chapter. The home was open to the public for tours and targeted events from May 13-21, 2000.
The house is located in Pleasant Hills Copper Creek golf course development, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa. The 3,000 square foot, "walk-out" ranch features an open plan for ease of movement and three-foot wide doorways for comfortable access, with all services and utilities located on the main level. Low or no maintenance surfaces inside and outside of the home minimize up-keep, with no doorway thresholds to impede access. It even has a "safe room" built on the main level for use during storms which at a later date could be converted into an elevator. The walls and ceilings of the home were built with special reinforcing, appropriate for the addition of grab bars and/or lifting equipment in the future. Such structural considerations will allow the home to readily adapt to the needs of family members and will allow them to live independently within their own home for as long as possible.
Some of the most unique features of House 2000 actually ensure that the home's exterior looks similar to the rest of the neighborhood. For instance, the need for steps and ramps are eliminated by the garage and front entry being built level to the first floor. The garage has been expanded to accommodate a conversion van. The exterior of the home includes raised gardening and planting areas for easy, comfortable access to the outdoors.
Other adaptations found in House 2000 include 4-foot halls (typically 3 feet), a 7-foot open area kitchen (typically 5 feet), and 2 (of 3) bathrooms accessible. A large wheelchair compatible shower with dual showerheads is off the master bedroom, and while the bedrooms are carpeted, there are hardwood floors through the main living area for ease of movement.
All of the special features of the home were done during construction so the cost is only slightly higher. At the same time this home was beautifully designed and constructed to fit into the surrounding neighborhood.
House 2000 hosted various forums for public education and was open daily for public tours during the week of the open house. For more information on the House 2000 project or arthritis, it's forms, and their treatments, contact:
The Iowa Legislature passed legislation last year to allow the state to take part in a new Medicaid program. The Iowa Department of Human Services administers this program that provides Medicaid coverage for working persons with disabilities. This new Medicaid coverage is commonly referred to as the "Medicaid buy-in" program. Persons who meet the "disability" standards of SSI can now get Medicaid even though they are working and have earnings that make them ineligible for SSI.
The program is part of an effort to remove disincentives to work that sometimes occur in programs like Medicaid. Many people are able to work even though they might be considered "disabled" for purposes of the Social Security Disability and SSI programs. Some people who wanted to work, however, found that they were penalized if they tried because they would lose their Medicaid coverage. For those with significant medical needs, working was not really an option unless medical coverage was available at a reasonable price through an employer. Without affordable health coverage, a person's health care costs might well exceed their earnings.
Medicaid for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MEPD) now makes health coverage available to working persons with disabilities so that people do not have to make a choice between working and having adequate health coverage. Participants must have family incomes below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. For persons whose income is under 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, there is no cost for participation in the program. For persons with income above 150% of the poverty levels, a monthly premium is determined on a sliding scale (the premium is the "buy-in").
The law specifically recognized the importance of assistive technology to acquiring and maintaining employment. "Assistive Technology Accounts" are accorded special treatment under the law. The rules limit the MEPD to people who have less than $12,000 in "resources". Resources are assets people can be expected to use to meet their needs. Ordinarily, any money a person has is counted in determining eligibility. Funds held in "assistive technology accounts," however, are not counted as resources. With these accounts, persons are able to save up for needed assistive technology that is not ordinarily covered by Medicaid without having those savings make them ineligible for MEPD.
"Assistive Technology Accounts" can include savings accounts or financial instruments like CDs. The accounts have to be kept separate from other funds, and must be specifically designated for the purchase, lease, or acquisition of assistive technology. Expenditures from the accounts must be for services or devices that are deemed to be medically necessary and can reasonably be expected to enhance employment. Medical necessity can be established by a physician, certified vocational rehabilitation counselor, licensed physical therapist, licensed speech therapist, or licensed occupational therapist.
The law also exempts as resources certain retirement accounts and "medical savings accounts" set up in accordance with IRS regulations. The rules regarding this new program are complex. Individuals interested in setting up assistive technology accounts are encouraged to contact InfoTech for assistance.
The Iowa Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT) will conduct an ICN 'Train the Trainer' presentation called, Going to College? Assistive Technology for Students Transitioning to College.
Students going to college should identify the assistive technology they will need to succeed in the classrooms as well as in life. IPAT developed this module to meet this need. This 'train the trainer' program will show you how to use the updated Going to College? module and its booklet to demonstrate to students, their families, and transition professionals what considerations they must make when choosing a profession, an academic program, and the college offering the program in which they are interested. The booklet includes a checklist to help students begin to identify their needs.
Audience: College Student Support Services, Iowa Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, AEA transition, community transition, transition advisory councils or boards, high school counselors.
When: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 .m., Thursday, January 11, 2001
Where: See the IPAT Web Page for ICN sites near you
To Register: Contact the IPAT office at 800-331-3027 or 319-356-0550.
Deadline: Monday, December 18, 2000
IPAT will stop taking registrations after December 18th. When contacting IPAT, we will need your name, address, and telephone number. Training materials will be mailed directly approximately 2 weeks prior to the training. Materials will include: training module/materials, presentation, graphics to make overheads, and various formats of the Going to College? booklet for recopying. For any questions, contact the IPAT office.
There are times at InfoTech when we get requests for information on products that don't exist. If we do, we keep track of what people are looking for, so that if we find it in the future, we can let them know. Here are some devices that have been requested frequently and are now available!
The TouchFree Switch is a "no-touch" switch solution from Edmark. This switch pairs a digital video camera with switch software to deliver "no-touch" computer access. The camera sees the user, and the user makes a designated movement to trigger a mouse click. The result is a versatile switch that can be tailored to meet a wide range of specific needs. The Touch Free Switch is compatible with a variety of single-switch scanning software, including many Edmark titles. The switch works with both Macintosh and Windows, and sells for $249.95. For more information contact Edmark at 1-800-362-2890 or check out their web site at www.edmark.com.
Visable Scientific Calculator is the first large key, large display scientific calculator and is available through Flaghouse. It has an easy-to-see LCD display for those with visual impairments. It features enlarged numerals, enlarged keys, and simplified keypad. Raised dots denote the numeric reference key. It allows for scientific, statistical, and trigonometric calculations. It comes with a large print owners manual. This calculator sells for $299, contact Flaghouse at 1-800-793-7900 or email them at sales@flaghouse.com.
LS&S also sells a new LEO Braille Scientific Display Calculator. This calculator is designed for both students and professionals. It has standard arithmetic functions plus functions for square root, sine, cosine, tangent, logarithm, and their corresponding inverse functions, conversions, and financial functions. The mechanotronic Braille cell provides an 8 Dot, 8 Cell tactile output. It measures 4.75"X3.75"X.8" and weighs just 10 ounces. It includes fully rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries with charger. It also has a one-year warranty. This calculator sells for $999.
In addition, LS&S has a variety of Talking Scientific Calculators. The Orion Talking Scientific Calculator features clear, high-quality, natural speech, choice of speech modes for quiet or verbose operation, learning mode for key identification during operation, ergonomically designed for those with visual impairments, with over 95 scientific functions including statistics and trigonometry. It has large, tactile, functionally zoned keys, high capacity rechargeable battery, volume control, earphone, and AC adapter, and a one-year warranty. This model sells for $199. For more information on either the LEO Braille Scientific Display Calculator or the Orion Talking Scientific Calculator, or any of the other talking calculators, contact LS&S at 1-800-458-4789 or go to their web site at www.lssgroup.com.
The Pant Clip aids in one-handed dressing and is available through Sammons/Preston. This simple but effective 3" clip attaches to pants and an upper garment while seated, then holds pants up as you stand erect. The cord adjusts for your height by simply tying a knot. Ideal for stroke and hip patients or those with limited mobility. It works for either children or adults and it's Latex free. The Pant Clip sells for $7.20. Contact Sammons/Preston at 1-800-323-5547 or visit their web site at www.sammonspreston.com.
As of January 1, 2000, Sprint Relay began three more years of service to the State of Iowa. As a state with a sophisticated consumer base, Iowa will continue to enjoy Sprint's technology-rich Telecommunications Relay Service platform. Sprint Relay strives to make our slogan, "Quality of Service Means Qualify of Life," not only our goal, but also a reality. WE are dedicated to exceeding the current level of standard relay services and committed to improving the overall quality of life for customers for Relay Iowa.
Sprint Relay is excited to offer the State both an updated technical platform that will bring each Iowa user closer to achieving functional equivalency and a Web page (www.relayiowa.com) that will educate users statewide on the availability of Relay Iowa. Sprint's new platform for Iowa includes the following additional features.
More information about new additional features can be viewed on Relay Iowa's Web page or contact our customer service department at 1-800-676-3777 (V/TTY). If you need any more information for your business or organizations, you can contact Phillippe Gallant, Sprint Relay Account Manager, at 1-800-377-1190 TTY, for voice users, you need to use Relay Iowa first 1-800-735-2943 Voice and ask the Communication Assistant to dial Gallant's 800 number.
The InfoTech newsletter is a publication of the Iowa Program for Assistive Technology, a project of University Hospital School, Iowa's University Affiliated Program. University Hospital School is a component of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, University of Iowa Health Care. InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and professionals by providing information on the availability of both new and used adaptive devices. No endorsement of products or services is intended. For more information on devices or for help in locating other types of specialized equipment, call: 800-331-3027 (voice/TTY).
IPAT is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, United States Department of Education (NIDRR/ED). This material does not necessarily reflect the views of NIDRR/ED or indicate official endorsement of their contents.
InfoTech, Iowa Program for Assistive Technology, University Hospital School, 100 Hawkins Drive, Room 295, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1011
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