This section includes stories of individuals with disabilities and/or their families who are living or striving to live self-determined lives within their communities.  Each individual is unique and is experiencing different issues, challenges, barriers, and successes.  All have dreams and goals for the future and a desire to participate in their communities.

We hope that the stories touch you and encourage you.  As you read them take time to reflect on your own life.  Perhaps you too would like to share your story here.  Individuals are encouraged to mail or to The Arc.  Please indicate that it is a self-determination story.

Ralph has always dreamed of owning his own home with a fence around the front yard and a vegetable patch in the back.

Ralph applied for the Helping Hands program in 2000 and began saving money for a down payment on a home.  He would periodically look at homes for sale to see what he liked and how much homes were costing. 

During this time he was diagnosed with colon cancer and spent the summer of 2003 traveling back and forth to Lubbock to get treatment.  He became very depressed about his condition and also not hearing from Helping hands about where he was on the waiting list.

Then, in September of 2003 when he was given the good news that he was cancer free.  He had a big party.  And a week later he head back from HUD that his voucher had been approved and he should start looking for a house.
In the summer of 2004, he purchased his own two-bedroom home with assistance from HUD’s Helping Hands Program. 

He’s getting ready for next summer’s vegetable patch.