STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS The Roanoke Times

A wheelchair ramp was built at Margaret Johnson's home through a Blue Ridge Independent Living Center program. Joyce Bandy stands behind her mother at Johnson's home in the Garden City area of Roanoke.

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Clifton Anderson was a relatively healthy 33-year-old when he entered the hospital for surgery on his aorta more than a year ago.

When he left, he was unable to walk.

During surgery, his spinal cord was severed and he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Angela Anderson said she and her husband returned to their home in Roanoke facing many unknowns.

They never imagined what it was like to live with a disability, and there were many things they didn't expect.

For many of those things, the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center was there to help.

The nonprofit organization installed a wheelchair ramp, widened their doors and modified their bathroom to make it more accessible.

Blue Ridge receives federal funding to help people with disabilities make home modifications that help them remain independent.

Help is available for low- to moderate-income families and is distributed through Roanoke's Community Development Block Grant program.

Blue Ridge has received funding for the project since 1995 and helped 34 people with disabilities during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The organization's executive director, Karen Michalski-Karney, said funding is being distributed more quickly in recent years. New funding will become available in August and 14 people are already on the waiting list.

She said she expects the need to rise as the number of people with disabilities increases and they continue to live longer. For example, she cites the growing number of elderly people who want to remain at home.

There are many ways a person can become disabled including stroke, cerebral palsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, Michalski-Karney said.

She also said people's attitudes change dramatically with their ability to get in and out of their homes.

"People get really depressed if they're stuck in a house," Michalski-Karney said.

The program has helped people such as Margaret Johnson, who couldn't leave her home unless she was carried out.

She hadn't left her Roanoke home for nearly six months until a ramp was installed recently.

In addition to home modifications, Blue Ridge also provides peer counseling, independent living skills training, information and referral.

Michalski-Karney said the organization is unique because the majority of its staff and at least 51 percent of the board of directors are people with disabilities.

"It has a huge impact," Michalski-Karney said. "We definitely understand the consumers that we are assisting."

Angela Anderson said she appreciates how understanding the staff is as she and her husband learn to live with his disability.

Clifton Anderson no longer has a job or health insurance, and Angela Anderson switched jobs to help her husband. She now works part time with no health insurance.

"It's really changed our lives," Angela Anderson said.

To determine if you are eligible for financial assistance, call 342-1231.