Introduction
Where people have been
Throughout the history of the United States, people with disabilities have been segregated and isolated from ordinary life. During the establishment of the original thirteen colonies, people with disabilities were not allowed to settle. Later, immigration policies prohibited people with disabilities from entering the country.
Beginning in the 1700s, many people with mental, physical, and emotional disabilities lived the majority of their lives in large institutions. Parents of newborn children with disabilities were strongly advised to send their children to institutions. Indeed, even if families wished to care for their children with disabilities at home, there were no resources or assistance available to them.
In the 1920s and 1930s, changes such as the Social Security Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act allowed people with disabilities to work in sheltered workshops and to receive income. Over the next forty years, the living conditions for people with disabilities improved slightly, but were still far below the standards most Americans would consider acceptable. Institutions began to change their names from "asylums" to "schools," "training centers," and "developmental centers." These changes indicated an evolution in the way society thought about people with disabilities. The assumption that people with disabilities were "broken" or "deviant" persisted, but now it was believed that some people, with enough rehabilitation, programming, and training could be "repaired."
In the 1970s, Independent Living programs were developed throughout the United States. These programs advocated the inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Terms such as "mainstreaming" and "normalization" were coined to describe a change in the attitudes and practices of the United States toward people with disabilities. Despite this powerful movement, most people with disabilities still lived in congregate settings such as institutions, group homes, or nursing homes. People had little control over their own lives, and were not considered capable of making decisions for themselves.
In recent years, tremendous changes have impacted the lives of people with disabilities in positive ways. There has been a shift from placing people with disabilities in large institutions to providing assistance for people to live in their own homes in communities. Individuals with even the most intensive assistance needs are moving out on their own, holding down jobs, developing relationships, having children, and making the decisions which impact their lives. In many situations, assistance is tailored to meet the person’s needs and is delivered in people’s homes, at their jobs, and in the community.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. The ADA states that people with disabilities will receive fair and equal treatment under the law. The signing of the ADA was a tremendous milestone for individuals with disabilities. However, nearly a decade later, most individuals with disabilities do not have control over, or even a voice in, the most basic decisions regarding their homes and their lives. Too often, where people live, with whom they live, and how they spend their time are decisions made by someone else. Despite major accomplishments in community housing and personal assistant services for persons with disabilities, most individuals remain guests, or perhaps worse, boarders in their own homes, subject to the rules, schedules, dictates, tastes, and prejudices of others.
Why this guide is necessary
People with disabilities, their families, the service system, and others working on their behalf have overcome innumerable legal, attitudinal, and societal barriers. Despite these achievements, there is still a great deal of work to be done before we can say that people with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities, rights, privileges, and responsibilities that all citizens enjoy.
Until very recently, many people with disabilities were not able to achieve the American dream of owning a home. Of the forty-three million Americans with disabilities, only a small fraction are homeowners. However, a growing number of individuals are purchasing homes of their own, and gaining greater control over their lives.
Homeownership for people with disabilities clearly is new territory that is often overwhelming and laden with obstacles. However, the journey is a worthwhile one for people who successfully navigate the process and purchase a home of their own. This guide may be a helpful tool, since it has been designed to:
Making the best use of the guide
Purchasing a home is a complicated undertaking for anyone. Most people only buy one or two houses in a lifetime! Working successfully with lenders, realtors, and other important people in the process requires a basic understanding of information ranging from simply describing the kind of house you want, to providing technical information, to prequalifying for a loan. Therefore, for some users, this manual may seem oversimplified. For others, it may seem too difficult to understand. Still others may find some chapters easy and others more difficult. Whether you are a person with a disability, a family member, someone who provides assistance to an individual with a disability, or a professional involved in the process of homeownership, you will probably find some sections of the manual more helpful than others.
Regardless of your role (home buyer, friend, personal assistant, etc.), it may be necessary to obtain assistance to comprehend the information presented. Some people might find it helpful to start by reading the guide from beginning to end. Then, each chapter may be read again as the process moves forward.
If you are interested in purchasing a home, you could ask friends, family members, neighbors, or paid assistants to help read through the guide with, or for you. Review it with them until you are comfortable with the material. If you are working with a planning team, ask the members to read the guide. Discuss each chapter as a group, exploring the areas you would like to learn more about or adapt to your situation. If you do not have an established planning team, you may want to create one. Chapters One and Two will give you specific information about how to do this.
A note about assistance
Given the wide range of readers of this manual, it is assumed that some will need assistance to understand and negotiate the homeownership process. Many people with disabilities receive the assistance they need from independent living centers and supported living agencies. Others receive informal or unpaid assistance from family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, either in place of, or in addition to, paid assistance from agencies. Regardless of the source, assistance that is tailored to individual needs and desires is a key ingredient in the success of people with disabilities in buying a home of their own. The material in this guide may therefore be useful to supported and independent living agencies that are committed to assisting people to own and control their homes.
Recognizing that people want and need different amounts and types of assistance, we realize that the process we describe is just one approach and may not be necessary or helpful to you. Even if this is the case, you may want to read through the section on planning, as there will be certain pieces of information that may be useful to you.
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As you prepare to embark on this exciting new expedition, remember that you are among the first to travel this road. There are precious few markers and signs to guide you along the way, but as more and more people venture into homeownership, the path will become a well-worn and familiar one. Good luck on your journey.