December 12, 2001, PHOENIX, AZ – A Mesa woman has been given the “gift of freedom” by Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), a local non-profit organization.

Donna Badger was stricken with cancer several years ago. Given only months to live, Badger quit her job and began a painful battle to beat the disease. The mother of five and grandmother of 15 grew increasingly frail and began to use a wheelchair for mobility. But the wheelchair also meant that her home, which has steps leading to the front door, became her prison. The simple issue of accessibility in one’s own home is not a consideration for most … but for those living with disabilities, it is an everyday struggle.

Enter ARIZONA BRIDGE TO INDEPENDENT LIVING.

Through local Block Grants and other resources, ABIL works to increase home accessibility for Mesa residents. ABIL retains local licensed contractors to provide modifications such as widening doorways, building ramps, installing roll-in showers, grab bars, power-assisted doors and other needed modifications. ABIL provides the majority of funding for these projects, and also coordinates the overall efforts in identifying and solving the accessibility issue at hand.