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 local community's needs. 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 (CEMA)
To promote inclusion and address accessibility needs, Disability Achievement Center (DAC) created the Consumer Equipment & Modification Assistance (CEMA) Program. This program provides durable medical equipment and minor home modifications to help people with disabilities stay independent and active in their community.
CEMA is funded entirely by grants and donations, and a waitlist may apply for these services.
The CEMA Program provides for:
-
Installation of access ramps*, grab bars and/or handrails.
-
Alerting equipment for the deaf/hard of hearing including light activated doorbells, smoke detectors, shaker alarm clocks, and baby monitors.
-
Repairs to and batteries for power wheelchairs, and
-
Purchase of durable medical equipment.
Through the CEMA Program, we provide modular aluminum ramps at no cost to eligible individuals for as long as they need them. These ramps are maintenance-free and are relocated to another site when no longer needed.
Unlike traditional wooden ramps, aluminum ramps are more cost-effective. They can be installed in just a few hours, and their reusable components ensure they can serve multiple individuals over time.
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 & Referrals, Independent Living Skills training, Advocacy, Peer Mentoring, and Transition Services.
We serve Pasco and Pinellas counties, FL residents and have a full-time staff member who is fluent in ASL.
We work with people of all ages and hearing family members.
We also provide assistive devices:
-
Light-activated doorbells,
-
Smoke XA,
-
Shaker alarm clocks
-
Baby monitors
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.
Diapers For Dignity
AN ADULT INCONTINENCE SUPPLY BANK
Alice's grandchildren want her to visit. She is out of pads. She is so afraid she will have an accident that she stays home, missing precious time with her family.
​
As a caregiver, Anna struggles to afford pull-ups for her adult son in addition to rent, food, and medical bills. At ¢75 for one pull-up, the cost adds up quickly. She tries to use fewer pull-ups, but that hurts his skin.
​
Cannot afford supplies? Help is available.
Packages of supplies are available at several locations.
-
Pullups
-
Tabbed briefs
-
Pads
-
Flat underpads for beds or furniture
Help is confidential.
​
You can help!
-
Donate unopened packages of incontinence supplies
-
Host a community drive to gather supplies of various sizes (pull-ups, pads, tabbed briefs)
-
Make a financial contribution
-
SPREAD THE WORD. Share this program with others.
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.
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.
​
