- November 27, 2024
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Farah & Farah donated $1,000 to Disability Solutions for Independent Living Inc. during a seminar Aug. 26 at Daytona State College. (Photos by Emily Blackwood)
Lorraine Ozkan — an Ormond Beach resident — said Disability Solutions was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Over 14 years ago, Lorraine Ozkan was healthy and working at a hospice in Port Orange. Then one day, she fell while taking a shower, and her life was never the same.
"I closed my eyes to wash my hair, and fell to the bottom of the tub," she said. "That was the beginning of when I noticed things were happening to me."
After falling down while walking through the hallway at work and a few other incidents, she realized something was very wrong. She was then diagnosed with a brain disease and told she only had a few more years to live. Her employer found out she was sick, and their insurance wouldn't cover a disabled person, so she soon became unemployed.
She said if she hadn't found Disability Solutions for Independent Living, she doesn't know where she would be.
"It's one of the best things that ever happened to me as a handicapped person," the Ormond Beach resident said. "If it wasn't for them, I'd be more withdrawn. Disability Solutions calls me all the time and comes to visit. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't know that I had rights."
Disability Solutions for Independent Living is a nonprofit in Daytona Beach that promotes the independence of people with disabilities through empowerment and support services. It's run by a board of directors that is made up with more than 51% people with disabilities.
Services are available to people with disabilities who meet the following criteria:
Anyone interested in getting more information should visit dsil.org.
