Other Services and Programs
We seek to provide additional services and programs to address local needs.
In addition to the 5 Core Services that all Centers for Independent Living offer, Disability Achievement Center offers additional programs based on the needs of the local community.
These include:
Medical Equipment Recycling Program
The Center has assisted hundreds of consumers to enhance their independence by obtaining equipment from our Medical Equipment Recycling Program, or MERP. Donations of equipment such as wheelchairs, shower chairs, walkers and Hoyer lifts etc. are made to the Center which we, in turn, give to individuals who cannot afford to pay for these items.
The equipment is professionally cleaned, evaluated and eventually matched up to someone in need. Repairs will be made if needed and as funds are available, before giving the equipment away.
Equipment available through the MERP is 100% dependent upon what has been donated to the Center.
You can help!!
If you or someone you know no longer needs a piece of equipment please consider donating it to Disability Achievement Center. Medical equipment can be costly. Your donation could mean independence to someone in our community. We will see that gets to an individual in need. A letter of receipt will be mailed to you. All donations are tax-deductible. For health and safety reasons we are unable to accept donations of medications or edible products.
Consumer Equipment & Modification Assistance
To address accessibility issues and to promote inclusion, Disability Achievement Center implemented the Consumer Equipment and Modification Assistance (CEMA) Program to provide for durable medical equipment and minor home modifications that enable people with disabilities to maintain their independence and contribute to their community. CEMA Program is funded solely through grants and donations and there may be a waitlist for this service.hi
The CEMA Program provides for:
· Installation of access ramps*, grab bars and/or handrails,
· Deaf alerting equipment that includes light activated doorbells, smoke detectors, shaker alarm clocks, and baby monitors,
· Repairs to and batteries for wheelchairs, and
· Purchase of durable medical equipment.
*Through the CEMA Program, we install modular aluminum ramps at no cost for eligible individuals for as long as they need them. The modular ramps are maintenance-free and are moved to another location once they are no longer needed. Recyclable aluminum ramps are more cost-effective than traditional wooden ramps because they can be installed in a few hours and the components can be used again and again.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
Consider us a mini-deaf service center. We can help with understanding a letter you received, Social Security issues
(like over-payments and learning how to protect yourself), communication issues & ADA issues.
We provide Information and Referrals, Independent Living Skills Training, Advocacy and Transition Services!
We have a full time staff member fluent in ASL.
We work with people of all ages and hearing family members.
We also provide assistive devices such as doorbell flashers, vibrating alarm clocks, fire alarm system, baby cry alerting systems, etc.
We have a private communications room for our deaf consumers that is equipped with a videophone allowing our deaf consumers to be able to make calls.
A computer is also available to apply for jobs, check emails, apply for benefits and more!
This is open to our deaf consumers Mondays – Fridays from 9AM to 4:30PM.
Food Program
Partnering with Feeding Florida/Feeding Tampa Bay has given us the ability to provide food to anyone with a disability who is not receiving food from other sources (local food pantries, Meals on Wheels, etc.).
We offer drive up service to load vehicles without having to make contact and also deliver food to anyone who is unable to come to the Center.
Distribution is available every two months by appointment only at no cost to consumers who need it. Please contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Prosthetic Upcycling Program
Disability Achievement Center has learned that only 30% of amputees use a prosthetic. When a prosthetic doesn’t fit or work properly, those living with amputations become sedentary and incur additional medical conditions that contribute to a decline in quality of life. A decline in quality of life includes weight gain, depression, increased medical expenses, and even additional amputations. According the Amputee Coalition, there are 1.9 million people with limb loss in the US and another 185,000 incurring amputations annually, mainly due to diabetes and vascular disease. https://www.amputee-coalition.org/resources/florida/
We’ve researched the options and there is no organization that recycles prosthetics! Where the cost of a full prosthetic varies wildly ($3,000-$70,000), the customization is at the point of contact with the body. Using this knowledge, we identified the most common items to achieve a proper socket fit and vendors willing to work within our parameters.
