The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has two kinds of public housing programs. The programs provide rental housing for families, older adults, and people with disabilities, who have low incomes. Local public housing authorities (PHAs) run both programs. Public Housing The first program, low rent public housing, may be apartments in multi-family… Continue Reading What’s the Difference Between Public Housing and “Section 8” Housing?
Iowa Compass got a “shout out” in a recently published report from the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). The report, “Complex Needs and Growing Roles: The Changing Nature of Information and Referral/Assistance,” cites Compass as the leading example of information and referral/assistance… Continue Reading Iowa Compass Community Resource Database Featured in National Survey of Best Practices
As Iowa’s disability-related information and referral service, Iowa Compass reaches out to a broad audience. Because we use information technology (IT) to reach our audience, we pay close attention to the need for digital security. Iowa Compass is based at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). This allows us to share IT security… Continue Reading Security at Iowa Compass
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the law that forbids discrimination against people with disabilities. Discrimination means treating someone with a disability different than someone without a disability. A physical or mental disability stops people from doing a major life activity, such as walking, seeing or hearing. The ADA says people with disabilities have… Continue Reading Getting Ready to File a Discrimination Complaint Based on Disability
Why Iowa Compass Rewrote Its Tip Sheets in Plain Language Iowa Compass is the state’s leading source of information on services and supports for Iowans with disabilities. The Compass database has thousands of records that guide people to disability-related services and programs. But Compass also has records called “tip sheets.” Tip sheets give people an… Continue Reading Making Complex Topics Easy to Understand
Assistive technology (AT) can help stop elopement or the wandering away of people with autism spectrum disorder. AT can be as simple as building a fence. It can be as complex as using GPS tags to locate someone who wanders away and gets lost. AT devices may be expensive. But there is funding support for… Continue Reading Funding Support for Anti-Elopement/Wandering Devices
What is crowdfunding? Crowd-sourced funding, best known as crowdfunding, is a new method of raising funds to support a cause or meet a need. This includes fundraising for personal causes or medical needs, such as buying assistive technology devices. Crowdfunding requires access to the Internet, using a computer or a smartphone. It relies on peer-to-peer… Continue Reading Using Crowdfunding to Buy Assistive Technology
Most new or leased cars and vans have a rebate for adaptive equipment. Things like ramps, hand controls, and seat lifts. Rebates are where you get money back from a company after you have already spent it. Most of the time, you have to apply for a rebate within the first six months of the… Continue Reading Automakers’ Mobility Programs
Public housing is low-rent housing for families, the elderly and people with disabilities who have low incomes. Public housing in Iowa is often large multi-unit complexes but can also be single-family homes or small supportive housing arrangements (“group home” style). The property owner may be a single landlord, or a for-profit or nonprofit corporation. Owners… Continue Reading Where to Find Public and Project-Based Housing Programs (HUD Properties)
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (known as Section 8) helps families, the elderly and people with disabilities who have very low-incomes pay for privately-owned rental housing. Renters pay about 30 percent of their income for their housing. Local public housing authorities (PHA) pay the balance of the market rental value directly to the owners. … Continue Reading Where to Find Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)