“This is one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given,” exclaimed Ed Lynk of Virginia Beach. The 85-year-old disabled veteran of three wars had an unmistakable twinkle in his eye as he described his Stair Chair. This smooth-gliding device, installed right on the staircase, had become the only means by which Ed could reach his upstairs bedroom.
Ed’s Stair Chair was paid for with a Granting Freedom grant, administered by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Housing Partners and other community groups.
The grant program was created to help Virginia’s disabled veterans make their homes more accessible. Grant funds can be used to widen doorways, add ramps, install grab bars or make other improvements to make life better for those wounded in the line of duty.
Ed’s injuries were sustained during combat duty overseas, when his aircraft was shot down and he was forced to eject. Eventually his injuries led to severe ambulatory problems—causing Ed and his wife, Donna, to wonder if they would have to move into an assisted living facility.
Then, Ed heard about Granting Freedom. He called VHDA, filled out the application, obtained the necessary doctor’s certification, and was approved to receive grant money for the Stair Chair. “I was just very, very grateful and pleased,” said Ed, “because it sure made my life 100 percent better.”
The Granting Freedom program helped make it possible for Ed and Donna to remain in their own home, and there is still more grant money available. Ed had this advice for other disabled veterans in Virginia who need help making their homes more accessible: “Call VHDA, ask them for an application, they’ll send it to you. It’s the least bureaucratic aid any veteran will ever get—and I mean that.”
To learn more about Virginia Housing Development Authority, please visit their website.
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