Yachad’s mission is to engage the Jewish community in meaningful work to rebuild urban low- income neighborhoods through our housing renovation and community development work.
There are over 75,000 households in the metropolitan Washington area that report having a family member with a disability, according to the latest U.S. Census data. Many of these families are in need of home modifications. Making a home accessible is an extremely expensive project. The average cost to build an access ramp or install a lift is between $15,000 and $20,000—far too expensive for families already struggling to make ends meet. People without physical disabilities take for granted how easy it is to leave their house to go to work, or school, to grocery shop or get to doctors appointments. However, if you are in a wheelchair and can’t get across a door’s threshold and down the flight of steps, you are dependent on others for help. Independence is key to success.
The mission of Yachad’s Ramp It Up! is to address this need by teaching teens how to build accessibility ramps.
Program goals and objectives Ramp It Up! is entering its sixth year. Our goal each year is to identify, design and build accessibility ramps each summer with 20-30 students. We plan on targeting younger people with disabilities who find it difficult or impossible to get to school or a job due to their physical disability. In past years at least one of our projects has assisted a person in their 20’s or younger.
Project timetable
Planning for Ramp It Up! begins in January when we begin site selection. We may look at 10-15 different locations until we are able to identify the sites that will work based on size and scope of the project. Once sites are selected we contact various architects to prepare permit drawings for us. These architects do the work at no cost to Yachad. Student registration begins in late March. March and April is when we recruit and interview Ramp It Up! project staff including contractors and counselors. Camp sessions begin in late June right after the conclusion of school.
Our project’s ability to build a greater number of ramps is contingent on raising money for construction materials. We are able to get donated services from architects who prepare permit drawings for each project. We are looking for more in-kind donations of lumber and concrete, but there are still significant costs associated with our construction projects.