Weekend homes tour provides a look into barrier-free housing

A glimpse into barrier-free housing will be offered to the public this weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, a multi-homes tour will be presented by the Friends of JCDS, to celebrate its 25^th anniversary.

The nonprofit organization is a fundraising partner for Johnson County Developmental Supports, a government agency that provides community-based programs and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the county.

Since 1997, Friends of JCDS has purchased, renovated, and maintained 11 homes in Johnson County, valued over $2 million, that offer accessible amenities such as wheelchair ramps, widened hallways, roll-in bathrooms and lowered kitchen counters.

All of the homes are one-story and the median price range is $130,000. Around $80,000 worth of renovations has been put into each home.

Seven of those homes will have their doors open to the public as part of the tour. Three to five people live in each home.

The event is a great opportunity to see a glimpse of accessible design and meet the people occupying each home, said Martha Hagedorn-Krass, executive director for Friends of JCDS.

“These residents aren’t strangers to each other, they’re friends living together as a family in a regular neighborhood,” she said. “They have positive life experiences and many of them are super friendly.”

Proceeds from the tour will go toward maintenance of the homes.

“Any homeowner will know there’s always something that needs to be done,” Hagedorn-Krass said. “Taking care of a home is a never-ending job. For us, multiply that number by 11. We’re always scrambling to get on top of things.”

She also thinks the tour will inspire homeowners to make changes of their own, whether they’re disabled or not.

“An accessible design doesn’t need to be out of reach,” she said. “It can be done easily and it can make your house even more mobile. As the country’s population ages, I think more and more people are getting interested in making these changes for comfort.”

The housing project is one of the organization’s biggest services. It is part of its goal to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities realize their rights to live and work in the local community.

“The homes fit in perfectly with the rest of the neighborhood,” Hagedorn-Krass said. “You wouldn’t know anything was unusual about them.”

The organization also funds programs, activities and services to Johnson County residents with disabilities. In addition to the wheelchair-accessible housing, it helps provide direct emergency assistance to consumers, innovative programs and equipment, healthy lifestyles, and consumer recreation.

As with any nonprofit organization, Friends of JCDS relies heavily on donations.

Board members hope the tour will not only educate the public about barrier-free housing, but inspire people to learn more about their organization and become involved in the community.

“We’d love to make more friends,” Hagedorn-Krass said. “We’re always looking for more volunteers.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Weekend homes tour provides a look into barrier-free housing."