The construction of Steve and Teresa's current home began in 1947 and was completed in 1950. It is just under 1,400 square feet in size, and has three bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen and dining area, a small storage room that doubles as the laundry room, and fairly large family room. The home is facing some of the usual problems associated with a home of older construction, but is holding up fairly well. At the time they bought the home, family and friends helped in renovating the main living areas including the kitchen and dining area, as well as the family room.

    Under normal circumstances, this home would support the family adequately. However, considering Steve's reliance on his wheelchair to move about, this current house no longer suits the needs of the family. The main problem lies in the hallway which provides access to the bedrooms and the bathroom. Steve's chair is just barely able to squeeze down the hall, but since it's so tight, he cannot maneuver within it, or turn around. Therefore, he cannot use his wheelchair in the hallway.

    This forces Steve to walk down the hall. Due to the progression of his disease (Multiple Sclerosis often called MS -- Read more about M.S. by clicking here ), his ability to walk has become very limited. He doesn't really even walk at all. He shuffles. To get to his bedroom or bathroom, he centers himself in the hallway, places his hands on each wall, and slowly shuffles down it. It generally takes him a very long time to reach his destination, and he has often fallen in these travels. As MS continues to reduce his motor ability, he will continue to have more difficulty in doing this. 

    At a minimum, I hope this effort will be able to allow them to make an addition to their home that is completely wheelchair accessible. This addition would include a master bedroom that Steve can enter using his chair, and an accessible bathroom. I also hope to be able to equip the bathroom with features to allow him to access it effectively (such as a shower bench and shower bars to help him get in and out). 

    There are actually many advantages to the home that the family currently lives at. First, its location is absolutely awesome. The school is only a short distance from the house, making it very easy for the children to walk to school. There is also a lot of family that lives close by allowing them to help in various ways, especially in helping to watch children while Teresa works. The house is also close to Teresa's work and to where they attend church. These features make the home an ideal location for the family. They also have many friends close by.

    However, besides the problems already discussed (areas that Steve cannot reach in his wheelchair), there are also others issues with the home. They don't have a functional garage, which also is a problem for Steve and his wheelchair. During the warm weather months, he simply drives his chair on the sidewalk. During the winter, however, it becomes a little more difficult with the snow. I also hope to help them by building on a usable garage that has direct wheelchair access into the home. The home is also suffering from common ailments associated with its age.