People Who Are Making a Difference

Janice Woody
Altadena, California

Janice Woody quit her job with Jacobs Engineering in order to found the non-profit organization CHANGA (Collective Housing and New Growth Alternatives) in May of this year. CHANGA embraces the mission of providing affordable, deaf-friendly rental housing with built-in improvements that assist the deaf in daily tasks.

There are over 300,000 deaf and hard of hearing people currently residing in Los Angeles County alone – but CHANGA serves a unique and critical need within this community. Other agencies exist to provide some assisted living facilities for the disabled. However, they are designed for those with additional physical or mental handicaps, and cannot adequately serve the deaf or anyone interested in normal independent living.

Through CHANGA, Janice is meeting the needs of deaf individuals for independent living. She is working with area apartment owners and developers to encourage an increase in (and openness to) deaf-friendly housing. She is currently negotiating with R&D companies to develop sensors and alarms to alert deaf people that the doorbell has rung, the water is running, etc. She is also in the process of selling her own home in order to purchase and refurbish an apartment complex as a "sample" of deaf-friendly housing.

Janice is an extraordinary and dedicated person who is devoted to her adult deaf son (whose name is Changa). She chose to leave a promising career as a civil engineer to pursue her vision of deaf-friendly housing.

Janice is a tireless volunteer and enthusiastic supporter of volunteer organizations. Although she has left the civil engineering field, she remains active in the construction industry and remains on the local board and committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers.