ABILITY House - Volunteering

I'm Dr. Gillian Friedman, managing health
editor of Ability Magazine, a leading

publication addressing health, disability
and human potential.

And I'm Max Gail, a subscriber and
sometimes contributor to Ability Magazine.

I also volunteer as a director for Ability
Awareness, a non-profit organization that

is partnered with Habitat for Humanity to
build accessible homes and to build

awareness of the value of volunteering for
people with disabilities.

-And I've been a volunteer on the Ability
House project a number of times, going

back to the first one in Birmingham,
Alabama back in 1999.

-Today there are fifty- six million people with
mental or physical disabilities in America.

The Department of Housing and Urban
Development has identified people with

disabilities as one of the principle
populations experiencing worst-case

housing needs. Ability Awareness and
Habitat for Humanity address this need

through the Ability House project.

Now there are two features that make the
Ability House project really unique, the

first is that the program endorses
universal design - that's the strategy for

building environments that can be visited
by people of all ages and all abilities.

And the second, it specifically seeks to involve
volunteers with disabilities in all phases

of construction. You know, to see or work
with people with disabilities actually

building a house, well that'll wipe out
all the stereotypes and myths you might

have about people with disabilities.
And it helps those volunteers to explore

and to demonstrate their abilities.

The adage "it's better to give than to
receive" is born out in health studies

showing that emotional wellbeing, physical
health and mental sharpness improve when

people join activities where they can give
and receive encouragement and learn new

skills.

I'll attest to that. Anyway, the following
presentation was shot at an Ability house

built in Baltimore, Maryland. This was
documented by the Good Life Television

Network for an episode of their series
'Volunteers for the Sake of Others'.

I think you'll enjoy it.

So many people wonder how a blind person
can build a house or how a person who uses

a wheelchair can come and build a house.

Volunteers, many with disabilities and
little knowledge of construction have set

out to try and build a house in just
eight days.

Most of them have never done any kind of
construction work.

NARRATOR: Will wet weather dampen their
spirits?

We would rather have better weather but
we've got a schedule to keep.

NARRATOR: It will take all of the
volunteers working together to complete

this house on time.

Everyone can come out and pick up a hammer
and we're all on equal ground.

Welcome to Good Life TV Network's
'Volunteers for the Sake of Others'.

I'm Doris McMillan.
People with disabilities are often

marginalised by society. An impairment is
often seen as being a major obstacle to living a

normal life. Ability Awareness, a
non-profit organisation combats this

misconception by recruiting people who
have disabilities to help construct homes,

often for people who themselves have a
disability.

This time-honoured tradition of
volunteering allows those with

disabilities to help someone in need.

The Ability house project is a hallmark
program of Ability Awareness and was

basically started to increase awareness
around the issues surrounding people with

disabilities, to really bring people with
disabilities out and show the community

their true skills and their talents, and

their potential as volunteers, as mentors
and as employees.

Volunteering benefits the provider of
service, perhaps as much as it does the

recipient of service, and so when you have
someone who is commonly thought of as in

need, there is a therapeutic benefit to
be derived when those individuals can in

fact be the providers of service.

Here, Ability teams with the local chapter
of Habitat for Humanity to build a house

with a few special features.

The Ability House is an accessibly designed
home, built for someone with a disability

by volunteers, many of whom also have
disabilities.

VOLUNTEER: Ready? One, two, three!

The concept of universal design which
means people who have physical impairments

are able to get in or out of it with no
barriers, and so I think this is a

worthwhile project.

It's a big stigma that blind people have
to sit and they can't do things and we see

a lot of people that come through our
program that have had people take care of

them their whole lives and there's no
reason for that really.

So often people with disabilities, they
aren't looked to as volunteers, and every

single person has his or her individual
level of ability, and so it's just really

a matter of finding out what that is and
utilising them to their fullest potential.

MAN: Here now, feel that, see what we're
gonna do?

Red hats, experienced volunteers, work on
securing the roof while a group of blind

volunteers help with the house's exterior.

I was given four individuals, and I took
them aside, gave them a quick lesson on

how to operate a screw gun, all I had to
do was point to where the screw needed to

go in, I'd say "follow my finger", they'd
find my fingertip, put the screw there and

screw it in.

Something really clicked with Fred. He was
there working with the volunteers

patiently working with each one. And he was
giving of himself and he really sensed

what this is all about.

I was totally amazed and impressed.
To call them disabled is no longer

adequate. They are definitely able-bodied
with a minor inconvenience.

Tom Owens has been blind since the age of
11, but involved in carpentry all his life.

Technically I've been doing this stuff
since I was about 3. I started working

with my father when I was 3 years old,
everybody in my family has some kind of

trade type skill. And Romney's a great
partner. (Laughs) She likes high places.

I think these guys are doing a great job.

It's great to come out here and see
people from all walks of life.

And I'm real happy to be a part of it.

Tom's an amazing role model
for the blindness community,

just to show that you really can do
anything that you want to do.

And there's no reason that you can't.

You can do anything but drive
a car is what we like to say.

(Narrator) 60-year-old John Randall
had a stroke 11 years ago.

He now has left-side hemiparesis,
and lacks the use of his left arm and leg.

I need accessibility everywhere I go.

So anything I can help someone,
that's automatic with me.

(Narrator) A self-declared advocate
for people with disabilities,

John volunteers on a number
of Baltimore area committees.

We need people to care to help
people who can't help themselves.

So many people worry about money,

but to volunteer is great.

You get a different reward
when you volunteer.

So many people wonder how
a blind person can build a house.

Or how a person who uses a wheelchair
can come and build a house.

The reality is is that the biggest
limitations that people

with disabilities have are preconceptions
that we've place on them.

But today, I wanted to help out
to see what I can do.

Just a little bit of drilling I could do.

I wanted to help volunteer.

This brings back memories of when
my house was being built.

It really touches me to see people
here volunteering their time.

It's good to know that there's good people

out there that really want
to dedicate their lives,

even if it's a few hours out of their day

to help someone else.

(Narrator) Volunteers, many with
disabilities and limited construction

experience have completed
the exterior of Kathy Hall's home

in just eight days.