RIC helps traveling nurse find local medical care
Resources for Independent Living in Richmond worked with a local resident with heart failure and hypotension (low blood pressure). She is a traveling nurse originally from Oregon and was diagnosed while working in Virginia. After her release from the hospital, she wasn’t stable enough to travel back and COVID made her extremely high risk to travel. Without work, she quickly ran out of money and lost her insurance, but was able to move in with a family in Goochland County.
RIL staff accessed local medical care for her, helped her apply for Medicaid, access stimulus money, food stamps and paid for her storage bill where she put all her possessions. She is continuing to receive follow up medical care and her health is slowly improving.
IRC remedies reasonable accommodation denial
Independence Resource Center in Charlottesville worked with two consumers with autoimmune issues to help them remain employed. Both individuals are public employees who were denied reasonable accommodation requests based on their disabilities.
IRC helped each employee gain their reasonable accommodation by cooperatively educating the ADA coordinators and management of the respective organizations about ADA/EEOC guidelines. They also assisted the employees with their grievance procedures to assure a favorable outcome without requiring litigation.
Endependence Center helps local resident find housing
Endependence Center in Norfolk worked with a consumer who is deaf to find housing. The coordinator gave him information about Section 8 vouchers and the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He applied for the voucher but his income was over the eligibility guidelines. He then contacted the rental office regarding housing availability, but did not have any luck as it was during the pandemic. However, staff at ECI encouraged him not to give up and continued to work with him, providing resources and support. He finally found a suitable apartment and accomplished his goals.
