Wheelchair accessible house for disabled Veteran

I'm Cole Summers, and I'm doing this fundraiser to build my disabled Veteran dad a wheelchair accessible house. I have the land, utilities, tools, and skills. But I can't afford the permits, materials, and the labor that I can't do myself.

 

When my dad's service-connected disabilities got bad enough that he needed a wheelchair, the VA gave him the wheelchair he needed. Unfortunately, he can't really use it. We don't have a ramp, and even if we got one, none of the doors in our house are wide enough for a wheelchair. Even if he could get through doorways, he can't reach any of our sinks, and we can't put grab bars where he would need them.

 

My dad spends most of his time as a prisoner in his own bedroom.

 

The VA recognizes how little my dad can do on his own. They pay someone to help him with basic needs like getting dressed and bathing. But the Veteran housing programs only provide wheelchair accessibility for a few Veterans. Like many disabled Veterans who need a wheelchair because of his injuries, my dad doesn't qualify for the VA's housing help.

 

My goal is to build a 1,500 square foot, passive solar house where my dad can easily get to any room he wants, any time he wants. He deserves to be able to go to the bathroom by himself, or get a drink of water from the kitchen. His body can do it, if he had a house that would let him.

 

If I don't meet my goal, there are still several things I can do to improve his quality of life, like some home automation in his bedroom, or just getting started on the house.

 

If I exceed my goal, there are a ton of things I can do to make my dad's life better. My first priority would be hiring some help to build the house faster. Other things I will do would include home automation, better outdoor mobility on our farm, or picking up the slack for additional caregiver and other services the VA isn't covering.