Disability Resources by Category

Elevator outages are of particular concern to Floridians with disabilities. Here are a few tips to help you when your condominium or apartment elevator stops working:

• Contact your condominium association or maintenance company immediately to ensure that the elevator outage has been reported and to ask about what actions are being taken to expedite repair. 
• Inform your condominium association or maintenance company that you are a person with a disability and having use of a safe and well functioning elevator is a necessity and not a convenience. Put your concerns in writing.     
• Most condominium associations and apartment buildings contract with an elevator service to provide maintenance and emergency service. Keep in mind that it may take 24+ hours for an elevator technician to respond to the outage. 
• Be diligent and call each subsequent day that the elevator is out of service. Ask when the elevator is expected to be repaired and what specifically is being done to expedite the repair. Ask if repair parts have been ordered, if necessary, and when the parts will be picked up or delivered. Unfortunately, a broken elevator does take time to repair. Depending on the problem, it is not uncommon for a standard repair requiring new parts to take between 2-3 days. 

Sometimes elevator repairs can take numerous days and even weeks or months to complete - especially in older buildings where parts are hard to find or complete replacements or upgrades might be required. If you are facing a lengthy delay, you may wish to:

• Request a reasonable accommodation to relocate temporarily to another unit or apartment on a lower level if one is available. 
• Discuss a strategy with management to minimize the duration of the outage. Perhaps work can be broken into sections with the elevator being operational intermittently.
• Contact your local Emergency Rescue Department. Alert them of the issue and your concerns. They may be able to provide some assistance. 
• Contact your local Center for Independent Living to inquire about funding for temporary lodging.
• You may also visit the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, Bureau of Elevator Safety website or contact them at 850-487-1395. The Bureau reviews and investigates complaints pertaining to elevator safety and compliance. Elevator safety is governed by Florida Statute Chapter 399. Click here to view Florida Statute, Chapter 399.

Weatherization Assistance Programs assist low income people with energy saving home repairs.

Services include:

• Fixing air infiltration with weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor repairs to walls, ceilings and floors, and window and door replacement,
• Installing attic and floor insulation (floors in northern Florida counties only),
• Installing attic ventilation,
• Applying solar reflective coating to manufactured homes,
• Installing solar screens,
• Repairing or replacing inefficient heating and cooling units,
• Repairing or replacing water heaters.

For more information visit this link.

The Low-Income Emergency Home Repair Program assists low income people, especially elderly individuals and people with physical disabilities, with the cost of repairs.

The eligibility requirements for this program are the same as for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Priority is given to persons 60 years of age or older, and people who are physically disabled.

Covered repairs include:

• Correcting structural deficiencies,
• Repairing or replacing unsafe or nonfunctional space heating or water heating systems,
• Improving accessibility or making repairs for the physically impaired,
• Repairing plumbing to ensure safe drinking water and sewage disposal,
• Repairing electrical wiring or fixtures,
• Repairing deteriorating walls, floors, and roofs,
• Making other interior or exterior repairs necessary for health and safety of the resident.

For more information please contact your local city or county government. 

The Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) assists low-income households, with at least one person age 60 and older, when the households are experiencing a home energy emergency.

A home energy emergency may result from a delinquent utility bill, lack of fuel or wood, or the receipt of a shut off notice. Payments are for home heating or cooling and other emergency energy-related costs during the heating (October-March) and cooling (April-September) seasons. Eligible households may be provided one benefit per season, up to $600 per season. Payments are made directly to the vendor or by a two-party check to the vendor and client for electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, kerosene, or wood.

Program beneficiaries may receive vouchers to purchase blankets, portable heaters, and fans. The program can also help pay for repairs to existing heating or cooling equipment or for re-connection fees. Additional funds with increased benefits may be issued by the President of the United States during seasonal emergencies.

To be eligible for assistance, households must have:

• A documented heating or cooling emergency,
• At least one individual age 60 or older in the home, and
• A gross household annual income equal to or less than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/arc.php( (or call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) for more information on additional eligibility requirements. You can also contact the local Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the Elderly providers.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists eligible low-income households in meeting the costs of home heating and cooling. 

For more information on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, please visit http://www.floridajobs.org/community-planning-and-development/community-services/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program

Renters in foreclosed properties may face uncertainty through no fault of their own. If your landlord experiences foreclosure, you may be affected.

You may wish to review Section 83.561 of Florida’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

You nay also have protections under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA).  You can find more information about the PTFA here.

Fannie Mae offers renters whose landlords are in foreclosure several options through a program called the Tenant-in-Place rental program. The program provides renters the opportunity for greater stability or additional time to transition to new housing. For more information on program options, please visit Fannie Mae's Helping Tenants in Foreclosed Properties page.