Words are powerful. They shape the way things or people are viewed. It’s important to think about how we phrase things when talking about disabilities or those with disabilities. Person first language is a respectful way to put the focus on the person and not the disability. Read More ›
Summit Housing Development Corporation, or SHDC, is a non-profit business providing housing for adults with developmental disabilities who choose to live in their communities with support, also known as congregate settings. Like the Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board, or Summit DD, this provider is committed to supporting individuals in inclusive environments. SHDC owns 80 homes throughout Summit County, giving people the opportunity to live in the communities of their choice.
In recent years, SHDC has made a concerted effort to pay down debt on the mortgages of its homes. To date, 55 of their homes do not carry mortgages, and there are plans to pay off the remaining 25 in the next five years. This decrease in debt has allowed SHDC to do something almost unheard of … lower rents!
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More than ever before adults with developmental disabilities are living and participating in their communities with support from Summit DD. Supports can provide important services like transportation, home-care, or day programs, to name a few. Individuals who live in congregate settings, or in other words individuals with disabilities who share a residence as roommates in their community, have many of the same expenses as other citizens. However, many don’t earn as much as their typically developing peers. Sometimes income doesn’t cover all of the monthly costs for an individual with a disability and there is a need to help subsidize cost of living expenses, like groceries, through local funding.
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March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, or DD Awareness Month. It’s a time to celebrate inclusion in schools, workplaces and local communities. Communities are stronger when they include everyone. What does it take to create inclusive communities? It’s not hard, but it does take everyone. Read More ›