1
00:00:01,796 --> 00:00:07,702
I'm Dr. Gillian Friedman, managing health
editor of Ability Magazine, a leading

2
00:00:07,702 --> 00:00:11,897
publication addressing health, disability
and human potential.

3
00:00:11,897 --> 00:00:17,211
And I'm Max Gail, a subscriber and
sometimes contributor to Ability Magazine.

4
00:00:17,211 --> 00:00:23,343
I also volunteer as a director for Ability
Awareness, a non-profit organisation that

5
00:00:23,343 --> 00:00:28,181
is partnered with Habitat for Humanity to
build accessible homes and to build

6
00:00:28,181 --> 00:00:32,362
awareness of the value of volunteering for
people with disabilities.

7
00:00:32,362 --> 00:00:36,824
And I've been a volunteer on the Ability
House project a number of times, going

8
00:00:36,824 --> 00:00:40,404
back to the first one in Birmingham,
Alabama back in 1999.

9
00:00:41,344 --> 00:00:46,264
Today there are 56 million people with
mental or physical disabilities in America.

10
00:00:46,264 --> 00:00:50,372
The Department of Housing and Urban
Development has identified people with

11
00:00:50,372 --> 00:00:54,896
disabilities as one of the principle
populations experiencing worst-case

12
00:00:54,896 --> 00:01:00,394
housing needs. Ability Awareness and
Habitat for Humanity address this need

13
00:01:00,394 --> 00:01:02,572
through the Ability House project.

14
00:01:02,572 --> 00:01:06,482
Now there are two features that make the
Ability House project really unique, the

15
00:01:06,482 --> 00:01:11,690
first is that the program endorses
universal design - that's the strategy for

16
00:01:11,690 --> 00:01:16,131
building environments that can be visited
by people of all ages and all abilities.

17
00:01:16,131 --> 00:01:22,159
And the second, it specifically seeks to involve
volunteers with disabilities in all phases

18
00:01:22,159 --> 00:01:28,031
of construction. You know, to see or work
with people with disabilities actually

19
00:01:28,031 --> 00:01:33,630
building a house, well that'll wipe out
all the stereotypes and myths you might

20
00:01:33,630 --> 00:01:38,482
have about people with disabilities.
And it helps those volunteers to explore

21
00:01:38,482 --> 00:01:41,226
and to demonstrate their abilities.

22
00:01:41,226 --> 00:01:46,741
The adage "it's better to give than to
receive" is born out in health studies

23
00:01:46,741 --> 00:01:52,211
showing that emotional wellbeing, physical
health and mental sharpness improve when

24
00:01:52,211 --> 00:01:57,111
people join activities where they can give
and receive encouragement and learn new

25
00:01:57,111 --> 00:01:58,192
skills.

26
00:01:58,192 --> 00:02:04,333
I'll attest to that. Anyway, the following
presentation was shot at an Ability house

27
00:02:04,333 --> 00:02:09,074
built in Baltimore, Maryland. This was
documented by the Good Life Television

28
00:02:09,074 --> 00:02:14,148
Network for an episode of their series
'Volunteers for the Sake of Others'.

29
00:02:14,148 --> 00:02:16,467
I think you'll enjoy it.

30
00:02:17,907 --> 00:02:22,784
So many people wonder how a blind person
can build a house or how a person who uses

31
00:02:22,784 --> 00:02:24,434
a wheelchair can come and build a house.

32
00:02:25,169 --> 00:02:30,188
Volunteers, many with disabilities and
little knowledge of construction have set

33
00:02:30,188 --> 00:02:33,686
out to try and build a house in just
eight days.

34
00:02:35,276 --> 00:02:38,997
Most of them have never done any kind of
construction work.

35
00:02:39,442 --> 00:02:41,464
NARRATOR: Will wet weather dampen their
spirits?

36
00:02:42,059 --> 00:02:46,489
We would rather have better weather but
we've got a schedule to keep.

37
00:02:46,842 --> 00:02:51,086
NARRATOR: It will take all of the
volunteers working together to complete

38
00:02:51,086 --> 00:02:52,542
this house on time.

39
00:02:52,542 --> 00:02:57,520
Everyone can come out and pick up a hammer
and we're all on equal ground.

40
00:03:30,900 --> 00:03:34,684
Welcome to Good Life TV Network's
'Volunteers for the Sake of Others'.

41
00:03:34,684 --> 00:03:38,300
I'm Doris McMillan.
People with disabilities are often

42
00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:43,988
marginalised by society. An impairment is
often seen as being a major obstacle to living a

43
00:03:43,988 --> 00:03:49,228
normal life. Ability Awareness, a
non-profit organisation combats this

44
00:03:49,228 --> 00:03:54,182
misconception by recruiting people who
have disabilities to help construct homes,

45
00:03:54,182 --> 00:03:57,952
often for people who themselves have a
disability.

46
00:03:57,952 --> 00:04:01,232
This time-honoured tradition of
volunteering allows those with

47
00:04:01,232 --> 00:04:04,249
disabilities to help someone in need.

48
00:04:05,499 --> 00:04:09,370
The Ability house project is a hallmark
program of Ability Awareness and was

49
00:04:09,370 --> 00:04:13,778
basically started to increase awareness
around the issues surrounding people with

50
00:04:13,778 --> 00:04:20,226
disabilities, to really bring people with 
disabilities out and show the community

51
00:04:20,226 --> 00:04:22,375
their true skills and their talents, and

52
00:04:22,375 --> 00:04:26,178
their potential as volunteers, as mentors
and as employees.

53
00:04:26,178 --> 00:04:31,336
Volunteering benefits the provider of
service, perhaps as much as it does the

54
00:04:31,336 --> 00:04:36,687
recipient of service, and so when you have
someone who is commonly thought of as in

55
00:04:36,687 --> 00:04:43,398
need, there is a therapeutic benefit to
be derived when those individuals can in

56
00:04:43,398 --> 00:04:45,445
fact be the providers of service.

57
00:04:47,265 --> 00:04:52,393
Here, Ability teams with the local chapter
of Habitat for Humanity to build a house

58
00:04:52,393 --> 00:04:55,257
with a few special features.

59
00:04:58,947 --> 00:05:04,233
The Ability House is an accessibly designed
home, built for someone with a disability

60
00:05:04,233 --> 00:05:08,888
by volunteers, many of whom also have
disabilities.

61
00:05:08,888 --> 00:05:13,016
VOLUNTEER: Ready? One, two, three!

62
00:05:17,036 --> 00:05:21,869
The concept of universal design which
means people who have physical impairments

63
00:05:21,869 --> 00:05:28,474
are able to get in or out of it with no
barriers, and so I think this is a

64
00:05:28,474 --> 00:05:30,051
worthwhile project.

65
00:05:30,051 --> 00:05:34,493
It's a big stigma that blind people have
to sit and they can't do things and we see

66
00:05:34,493 --> 00:05:37,471
a lot of people that come through our
program that have had people take care of

67
00:05:37,471 --> 00:05:39,815
them their whole lives and there's no
reason for that really.

68
00:05:40,825 --> 00:05:45,230
So often people with disabilities, they
aren't looked to as volunteers, and every

69
00:05:45,230 --> 00:05:51,067
single person has his or her individual
level of ability, and so it's just really

70
00:05:51,067 --> 00:05:55,601
a matter of finding out what that is and
utilising them to their fullest potential.

71
00:05:55,601 --> 00:05:58,158
MAN: Here now, feel that, see what we're
gonna do?

72
00:06:03,658 --> 00:06:09,471
Red hats, experienced volunteers, work on
securing the roof while a group of blind

73
00:06:09,471 --> 00:06:12,481
volunteers help with the house's exterior.

74
00:06:14,771 --> 00:06:19,551
I was given four individuals, and I took
them aside, gave them a quick lesson on

75
00:06:19,551 --> 00:06:24,770
how to operate a screw gun, all I had to
do was point to where the screw needed to

76
00:06:24,770 --> 00:06:28,302
go in, I'd say "follow my finger", they'd
find my fingertip, put the screw there and

77
00:06:28,302 --> 00:06:29,345
screw it in.

78
00:06:29,345 --> 00:06:34,312
Something really clicked with Fred. He was
there working with the volunteers

79
00:06:34,312 --> 00:06:40,414
patiently working with each one. And he was
giving of himself and he really sensed

80
00:06:40,414 --> 00:06:41,674
what this is all about.

81
00:06:41,674 --> 00:06:48,545
I was totally amazed and impressed.
To call them disabled is no longer

82
00:06:48,545 --> 00:06:53,986
adequate. They are definitely able-bodied
with a minor inconvenience.

83
00:06:58,502 --> 00:07:04,080
Tom Owens has been blind since the age of
11, but involved in carpentry all his life.

84
00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:12,021
Technically I've been doing this stuff
since I was about 3. I started working

85
00:07:12,021 --> 00:07:17,199
with my father when I was 3 years old,
everybody in my family has some kind of

86
00:07:17,199 --> 00:07:29,961
trade type skill. And Romney's a great
partner. (Laughs) She likes high places.

87
00:07:32,391 --> 00:07:34,360
I think these guys are doing a great job.

88
00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,547
It's great to come out here and see
people from all walks of life.

89
00:07:37,547 --> 00:07:39,830
And I'm real happy to be a part of it.

90
00:07:41,260 --> 00:07:43,917
Tom's an amazing role model
for the blindness community,

91
00:07:43,917 --> 00:07:46,785
just to show that you really can do
anything that you want to do.

92
00:07:46,785 --> 00:07:48,522
And there's no reason that you can't.

93
00:07:49,282 --> 00:07:51,710
You can do anything but drive 
a car is what we like to say.

94
00:07:53,230 --> 00:07:56,405
(Narrator) 60-year-old John Randall
had a stroke 11 years ago.

95
00:07:56,405 --> 00:08:01,559
He now has left-side hemiparesis, 
and lacks the use of his left arm and leg.

96
00:08:05,649 --> 00:08:07,808
I need accessibility everywhere I go.

97
00:08:07,808 --> 00:08:14,030
So anything I can help someone,
that's automatic with me.

98
00:08:16,610 --> 00:08:19,451
(Narrator) A self-declared advocate
for people with disabilities,

99
00:08:19,451 --> 00:08:23,203
John volunteers on a number 
of Baltimore area committees.

100
00:08:24,253 --> 00:08:28,294
We need people to care to help
people who can't help themselves.

101
00:08:29,904 --> 00:08:31,965
So many people worry about money,

102
00:08:32,345 --> 00:08:34,644
but to volunteer is great.

103
00:08:35,524 --> 00:08:37,913
You get a different reward
when you volunteer.

104
00:08:38,513 --> 00:08:42,349
So many people wonder how 
a blind person can build a house.

105
00:08:42,349 --> 00:08:45,341
Or how a person who uses a wheelchair
can come and build a house.

106
00:08:45,341 --> 00:08:50,097
The reality is is that the biggest 
limitations that people

107
00:08:50,097 --> 00:08:53,984
with disabilities have are preconceptions
that we've place on them.

108
00:08:55,664 --> 00:08:58,347
But today, I wanted to help out
to see what I can do.

109
00:08:58,347 --> 00:09:00,543
Just a little bit of drilling I could do.

110
00:09:00,543 --> 00:09:02,408
I wanted to help volunteer.

111
00:09:02,408 --> 00:09:05,069
This brings back memories of when
my house was being built.

112
00:09:06,999 --> 00:09:09,732
It really touches me to see people
here volunteering their time.

113
00:09:09,732 --> 00:09:11,604
It's good to know that there's good people

114
00:09:11,604 --> 00:09:13,914
out there that really want
to dedicate their lives,

115
00:09:13,914 --> 00:09:16,474
even if it's a few hours out of their day

116
00:09:16,474 --> 00:09:17,844
to help someone else.

117
00:09:19,066 --> 00:09:22,466
(Narrator) Volunteers, many with
disabilities and limited construction

118
00:09:22,466 --> 00:09:27,117
experience have completed
the exterior of Kathy Hall's home

119
00:09:27,117 --> 00:09:29,166
in just eight days.