My name is Theodore Debrow. I'm president of the
Huffman Neighborhood Association.
The project for the UAB Accelerating Engagement.
And we had one work group really dealing with accessibility.
And UAB, not only did they provide us with some of the
financial resources, they provided us with some of the
expertise to do that.
They connected us with the Lakeshore Foundation.
Who helped us to define the survey
and the questionnaire, to really get into all of our homes to
really see what the needs are.
My name is Andrew Hawkins, I'm a volunteer with
Huffman High School.
I love the kids. I love the people's.
I love to community.
I just want to do things to help us out.
We need a ramp for the wheelchairs.
We need to sidewalks, bathrooms assessed and everything.
Build the east side up, and everything.
It's a nice community to live in.
Nice community to grow,
show the kids everything we do on the east side of town.
Our important role, we think, is to be inclusive.
And so we are trying to include all of our neighbors, and more
especially those with disabilities.
The project is really into three different levels.
First, a handbook for the community where we really could
kind of identify various places in the community where we need
to step up our game in terms of accommodating disabilities,
and how we need to work to eliminate some of the barriers
that are in the neighborhood for persons with disability.
The second one was the really the websites that really serves
as a communication tool our whole neighborhood.
And will really be more inclusive for our disabled residents.
The third way was the what we call the netting of the neighborhood,
which will provide Internet services throughout the neighborhood,
no matter where you go.
If you can't make it to a gym and you have a disability.
You can work out from your home by
simply pulling up programs that are beneficial to you,
if you're in a wheelchair, if you have severe muscular problems,
or whatever your disability may be,
now you have the access that's needed through the WiFi that
has been provided to get that exercise you need.
As we did a survey they are in our neighborhoods too, we found
that really persons with disabilities needed to have
access to medical services. They don't have the opportunity to
get to that doctors or to those medical services.
But with the onine portal,
they can get many of those medical services.
And they can also follow up on many of the medical services
that they have with their doctors and all too.
My name is John C. Lyons Jr.
I am the Principal of Huffman High School.
In my role, I have to make sure that I prepare all people that
come into contact with Huffman High School, and with me as an
educator to live the best quality of life that they can.
Having this grant that is being provided will give me an
opportunity to help them by being able to utilize the free
WiFi this will be given to our community.
We want the Huffman community to be
a hook where no matter where
you stay with no matter where you live, and no matter what
your disability or lack of disability is that you can come
into the Huffman community and enjoy a quality of life.
Every student's family cannot afford internet.
They do not have that accessibility to WiFi.
This grant will eliminate that.
It levels the playing field for people with disabilities.
A lot of people can't get out with disabilities.
But now they
are able to download, a for example YouTube video or
something like that because now they have the accessibility
that's provided by this grant.
It is a win win for not only people with disabilities, but
people without.
Disabilities is not what limits most people.
If we can provide accessibility throughout the community, then disability is not an issue.