By Riley McCoy
For The Register-Herald
Beckley — WV(Dis)enabled announced Wednesday plans to launch a nonprofit initiative aimed at reducing accessibility barriers and advancing civil rights for people with disabilities in West Virginia.
The announcement came during a press conference at the Tamarack Marketplace, where organizers outlined their vision for a self-sustaining organization focused on improving independence and quality of life for disabled residents. Leaders said the effort will focus on practical challenges that often go unaddressed.
Those challenges range from limited wheelchair access in public spaces to the high cost of custom home modifications, obstacles that advocates say can complicate daily life and limit opportunities for people with physical disabilities.
The nonprofit’s first initiative, the Mountain State Accessibility Navigation Support Program, referred to by organizers as ANS, will serve as a navigation hub connecting individuals with physical disabilities to funding sources, accessibility resources and modification services for homes, vehicles and daily living needs.
The group’s founder, Curtis Yearego, lives with a physical disability and said the program grew out of the difficulty many residents face when trying to navigate accessibility systems and support networks.
“For many people, the challenge is not just the cost of accessibility modifications,” Yearego said. “It’s figuring out where to start, who to call and what resources exist.”
As an early example of the challenges the initiative hopes to address, organizers pointed to one of the first accessibility projects already under review, replacing a deteriorated wheelchair ramp at a private residence.
Yearego said projects like that illustrate how quickly accessibility needs can outpace the financial resources available to individuals and
“That’s the kind of barrier many families face when they’re trying to make their homes accessible,” Yearego said.
Randi Cantley, who also lives with a physical disability, said navigating accessibility equipment and insurance systems can often be as difficult as the physical barriers themselves. She pointed to mobility devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetics as examples of equipment many people rely on daily but struggle to obtain or maintain.
“Insurance will only cover a wheelchair every five years,” Cantley said. “But if something breaks before that, you’re often left trying to figure out how to repair it or replace it on your own.”
Leo Lester, speaking from the audience during the press conference, said programs like ANS could help close those gaps by connecting people with resources they might not otherwise find. Lester said many individuals facing accessibility challenges simply lack a starting point when searching for assistance.
“There are a lot of people who need help and don’t know where to go,” Lester said. “Having something that helps people navigate those systems could make a real difference.”
Yearego said the organization is working through the final stages of incorporation after filing with the West Virginia Secretary of State and submitting federal paperwork to the Internal Revenue Service. As the nonprofit prepares to launch its programs, he said public participation will play a critical role in identifying accessibility barriers across the region.
“The two things that I need from the public, and I need them desperately. Number one, and it’s worth more than gold, is to get the word out,” Yearego said. “The second thing that I need from the public is to report, report, report as much detail as you can get. Do not identify buildings. We don’t want to shame anyone. This isn’t about blame: it’s about fixing the problem, but I need the information to fix the problem.”
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