awesome idea.
i cannot do chores and simple home repairs so i pay $10/hr for someone
to do them.
i bought a new frig and business charged $25 to drop off old frig on
their route back to store. nobody offers help for free anymore.
what really gets me is the local churches do not help the old or
disabled like they should. a pastor of big church lives 3 houses away
and has never stopped to ask me if i need anything. i live in village of
20 houses.
i was looking at starting a handyman company to help the old and
disabled when a friend was unemployed. it's hard t find someone even if
you want to pay them.
(services for disabled)
i always thought that the disabled should get a "senior citizen"
discount too. the thing is how to determine the disability. is someone
in a wheelchair eligible but who uses a walker not? and you know
scammers would try to take advantage, just like handicap parking
tags.......
derrick
On 8/8/2013 11:11 AM, Dave Krehbiel wrote:
I've been considering trying to start a nonprofit organization, but
before I do something new, I'd like to know if anything similar
currently exists.
As we all know, businesses react to disability in different ways.
Most ignore us. Some take the opportunity to charge very high rates.
The majority which I have dealt with have attempted to be kind and
considerate and accommodating. But some go a step further, offering
discounts and sometimes free services for families who have been
impacted by disability.
Families who have been impacted by disability have an increased need
for services, and a decreased ability to pay for them. Before my
accident, I would cut the lawn myself, and rakemy own leaves, and
change the oil and brakes for our cars. Now, my wife and children have
to pay professionals to do all these things.
But some companies have stepped forward to help. A local heating and
air conditioning company did a free repair on my air conditioning. A
landscaping company removed a dangerous tree at no charge. My home
health agency no longer allows aides to trim my fingernails, but a
local mail salon will cut and file them for me at a discounted price.
I would like to suggest that there is a need for an organization to
encourage service companies to step up and offer free or discounted
services to families impacted by disability.
For example: since my accident, I have lost contact with a number of
friends and Associates. I would like to meet them someplace for a
dinner or a drink. Since they don't know what to do or how to deal
with someone with a disability, they tend to do nothing. I need to be
the one who instigates the lunch or dinner. Since I am inviting
someone else, I need to be prepared to pay for it. The reality is: my
friend will most likely pick up the tab. A restaurant who sells gift
certificates to families of the disabled at a 50 percent discount will
most likely end up getting more business at full fare.
There would be challenges and difficulties in setting up such an
organization. For example, what exactly counts as a disability? How
can we be sure that people are not abusing the program? How can the
program be promoted to the companies who might provide services and to
the people most eligible to receive discounted assistance?
I have some ideas about how to address these problems. I've begun
talking to a number of people, and they all sound positive, but they
want to know if there are any similar organizations already in existence.
I have done a bit of a search on the Internet, and I have found a
number of companies which offer discounts on medical supplies and so
forth. I am actually looking to address the non-medical aspects of
disability. I am trying to encourage and enable people with
disabilities and their families to be able to enjoy and afford more
normal lives.
Can you help me by sharing what you know?
Are you aware of any organizations which encourage or provide service
discounts for things such as yard work, electrical work, plumbing,
carpentry, auto repair, maid service, or meals and drinks and restaurants?
Have you had positive experiences with private companies who have
stepped up to help you out, who have cut you a break because you are
in a difficult situation?
Do you think that such an organization would be a good idea?
Would you like to be involved in trying to get such an organization
organized?
How could disability be defined in a way that the organization could
help truly needy people and not be taken advantage of by others?
Thank you very much. Thank you in advance for your comments and
perspectives.
Take care,
Dave Krehbiel
(301)924-4530
