Rebuilding Together Orange County

Urgent Needs Project

Apr 02, 2002

Cliff Johansen had become a hermit. He stopped interacting much with neighbors and isolated himself from social contact and activities.
That's how this Anaheim resident described his life a few months ago. Suffering from a host of health problems, including diabetes and congestive heart failure, Johansen is also a amputee, confined to a wheelchair. He had become increasingly reclusive, he says, because the wheelchair ramp access to his house was nearly unusable. It had, in fact, been cited by the city for code violations. "It was just too hard to come and go from my house," he explains. He became a virtual prisoner, his world bounded by the depressing, dark-paneled walls of his mobile home.
Even more frustrating was that Johansen, an architectural designer, had drawn up plans for a new ramp, but had not means to build it - until last October. That's when a social service agency connected him with RTOC. His situation qualified as an Urgent Needs Project and soon after help arrived.
RTOC board member Rob Sheehan assembled a small group, including his 15-year old son, Collin, carpenter Dave Michael, and Ron Ammon to not only build Johansen a new ramp, but also provide other home improvements - enlarging doorways for easier wheelchair maneuverability, installing bathroom grab bars to heighten safety, and improving bedroom lighting. In addition, members of the Unitarian Church in Fullerton painted the dark walls a clean white, brightening not only visibility, but also the home's entire environment.
The repairs and improvements, particularly the new wheelchair ramp "changed by life," Johansen declares. The former hermit is now once again active in his community, getting to know his neighbors and even serving on the community association's Board of Directors. The clang of a ship's bell, installed at the end of the 27-foot long wheelchair ramp, brings Johansen out to greet guests and visit with neighbors.
Once a board member of "Hugs for Health," Johansen has resumed his practice of giving back to the community. He has volunteered his professional design services to help with other RTOC projects. Currently he is working on designing a new back door landing for an elderly blind neighbor and has encouraged several others to apply for RTOC help.
The new wheelchair ramp, now finished off with latticework and potted plants, has taken Cliff Johansen back out into the world and brought life back into his home.