Ted Mann is like many older citizens entering their retirement years and facing new opportunities. For a brief time, Ted was married and lived in his own home and then moved back to an apartment in his hometown. He's main goal in life was the purchase of another home where he could grow vegetables, entertain friends and have a pet of his own. Ted and his long-time friend go to church and then out for Sunday lunch weekly. In the summer, they attend Cincinnati Reds baseball games. During the winter, Ted catches all the University of Kentucky basketball games on t. v. or radio. He enjoys watching sporting events and keeps up with professional baseball and basketball. He has not made the decision to retire at this time, but thinks he should learn to work a computer to enhance his skills should he seek new employment in the future. Ted attends adult literacy classes to improve his reading skills. In many ways, Ted is a typical older person who has years ahead to explore new directions and choose how to spent his time in activities he enjoys. But Ted's life experience is not typical of most of his age peers.
Ted Mann was born May 15, 1935 in Kentucky. At the age of six, he was denied entry into the school system. At the age of 15, Ted's mother was unable to provide on-going care for him, so Ted was admitted to the Kentucky State School for Mental Retardation in Frankfort. Ted resided and worked at the institution's farm and assisted with caring for other residents for 22 years. He began working at a local drugstore in 1968. In 1972, the institution closed its doors and Ted moved into the community living in a room in a boarding house. He continued to work for the drugstore for twenty years and was able to find addition employment working in food service jobs at Kentucky State University and local restaurants. It was not unusual for Ted to have two or three part-time jobs at the same time over the years. Ted has lived on his own for the past 24 years. He has an older sister who lives in Ohio where Ted spends all the major holidays.
Ted was a charter member of "Kentuckians Together," a self-advocacy organization with goals similar to the People First movement. In the mid 1980's, he found time to belong to the Full Gospel Businessmen's Association. Ted has been on the advisory board of the Kentucky Protection and Advocacy Agency and represented the interests of his fellow Kentuckians with developmental disabilities as a member of the state advisory board of the Ky. Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Aging with Mental Retardation since 1993. He was a self-advocate representative to the Ky. Developmental Disabilities Planning Council's Sub-committee on Aging from 1991-1993 providing input into the aging initiative that resulted in the signing of a memorandum of collaboration between the Ky. Division of Aging and the Division of Mental Retardation in 1992 and the development of demonstration projects on aging during the fiscal years of 1992-1993. He attended the National Self-Advocates Conference in Washington DC in 1994 and participated in the Chicago RRTC's White House mini-Conference on Aging. Ted's contributions focus on people with disabilities having the opportunity to work in jobs they like and live where they want. He has demonstrated the ability to make choices and experience the consequences of making his own decisions when allowed to do so. He has demonstrated his leadership abilities by example. He enjoys traveling to the annual meeting of the National Advisory Board and being involved in the RRTC activities.
In the Spring of 1996, Ted enlisted the assistance of his long time friends and supporters and started his journey to owning a home of his own. After four months, three reality companies, and looking at more than a dozen homes, he decided on purchasing a two bedroom condo with full bath, living room, and eat-in kitchen. The condo has a small patio and room for a container garden for tomatoes and some beans. He qualified for a conventional mortgage based on his receiving disability income payments from Social Security as his father's dependent. Ted elected to take a 30 year mortgage. His condo was purchased for $34,500. His current house payment is $121.00 per month and the monthly maintenance fee is $93.00. He previously spent $300 per month to rent a two room apartment with a bath and would see electric bills of over $150 per month during the winter as the heat was electric. Today, his utilities are on a monthly budget plan and the payments are done through automatic bank drafts. This summer, the patio had tomato plants growing and a companion cat has been discussed. Later life goals have been accomplished for one older individual who has worked many years and developed a community of supports. Home ownership can be a realistic goal for people with developmental disabilities at any age but not all need to wait for the federal programs as the catalyst to make the move. Additional community living options will be shared in this column in the upcoming months.
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