Recently, Ability Tools, a program of California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), assisted with the disaster relief efforts related to the Northern Valley Fires. Deployed to the Napa county shelter as part of the state’s Functional Assessment Service Team, Ability Tools collaborated with state partners to quickly assess the needs of fire survivors with disabilities.

Teresa Favuzzi, Executive Director of CFILC, participated in the collaboration efforts at the shelter and noted that fire survivors were in need of a variety of assistive technologies that were abandoned in their unexpected and harrowing evacuation.

Along with the Independent Living Centers Disability Resource Agency for Independent Living, Independent Living Resources and Disability Services and Legal Center, Ability Tools was able to locate and provide survivors with approximately $14,200 worth of new and reused Assistive Technology including power wheelchairs and scooters, walkers, canes and bathroom equipment so that survivors with disabilities could get back to living as independently as possible.

Ability Tools connects individuals with disabilities to Assistive Technology tools and services in California. Find more information about them by visiting their website at www.abilitytools.org.

Clint Vigen from the CA Dept. of Rehabilitation and Teresa Favuzzi, Exective Director of shake hands over the power chairs they helped to get to the victims of the fire