Grant funds provide ramps for handicapped

Installation of wheelchair ramps at no cost is now available in the area with the assistance of a $17,500 grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to Disability Action Center Northwest. The foundation, which has an office in Moscow and serves 11 counties in Washington and Idaho, has teamed with Palouse Habitat for Humanity for installation of the ramps.

They install modular aluminum ramps which can serve houses and facilities. The service allows residents to stay in their own homes and avoid the costs of building expensive wooden ramps.

The ramps are provided in modular sections and can be installed without modifying the exterior of a home.

The grant funds came into use in this area because the center was able to link up with Habitat for Humanity volunteers who install the ramps in the Palouse region.

The ramps can be installed on a short- or long-term loan basis. Moscow Lions Club volunteers also help with the program.

“We are always looking for volunteers to do this work on an as-needed basis,” said Mellowdee Brooks, manager of the Moscow office.

People who need a ramp and can’t afford it, or would like to volunteer, can contact Palouse Habitat for Humanity or Disability Action Center at 208-883-0523