Indiana News

Habitat Home Designed With Autistic Residents in Mind

Construction moving rapidly at state fair

8/3/2012


(WIBC.com photo: Eric Berman)

Habitat for Humanity's latest project in Indianapolis will be specially tailored to its new owners.

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This is the third year Habitat for Humanity has built a home at the fairgrounds during the run of the fair. But this year, the homeowners will be two men with autism. Guardian Krista Martin says they rent a home now, but says that's not a good fit with some autism-related behaviors. For instance, landlords have been understandably perturbed at one resident's habit of hurling himself into walls, a behavior that's left holes in some walls.

The Habitat home will be designed with bumpers on the walls to prevent damage. There'll also be tinted windows to keep bright sunlight from triggering the other man's seizure disorder.

Shifts of 25 volunteers already have the skeleton of the house in place. They hope to complete basic construction by Monday, call in mechanical contractors to install fixtures, and transport the completed home to a permanent site on Kenwood Avenue after the end of the fair.

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