For Danny and Claudette Rogers, the saying “necessity is the mother of invention” couldn’t ring more true.

As owners of Shape Shifters Construction in Snowflake, the couple works with disabled homeowners in need of handicap retrofit construction for their homes. The idea to create such a specialty business came from Claudette’s own experience becoming wheelchair bound due to being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

“We worked with a contractor who told us he was overloaded with these types of projects. That’s when we realized this was something we could do,” says Claudette. “At the beginning, Danny worked at a paper mill, but had been looking at leaving and getting out own his own. He had always done side work in construction, so he got his contractor’s license.”

In 2009, Danny and Claudette started Shape Shifters Construction and since then, have been working with disabled homeowners needing modifications made to their homes to provide easier accessibility.

“Basically, there are two ways someone can get their home retrofitted,” Claudette says. “They can contract with us directly, or they can go through the State of Arizona, which has a program that helps disabled homeowners have their homes modified to meet their needs.”

Projects include building and installing wheelchair ramps, modifications to existing structures, decks and porches.

“Sometimes we’ll remodel a whole bathroom and install a roll-in shower, grab bars and adaptive toilet,” Claudette says. “Other times, it’s putting down new flooring throughout the entire house that’s easier for a wheelchair to move across. And other times its widening doorways, or building a concrete ramp from the garage to the house. We do a variety of projects.”

Because everyone’s situation is different, Claudette says it’s important to sit down with the client and figure out their needs.

“When I meet with a client, I give them the opportunity to say what they want,” she says. “Every client has their own needs, their own specifications, their own circumstances. I understand that, especially since I am and have been in their shoes.”

The Rogers’ say technology is playing a larger role in handicap accessibility. Remote-controlled or sensor-activated lighting, fixtures and appliances, and security cameras and automatic door openers controlled by smartphone apps are just a few of the advancements they’re seeing in the industry.

Just as Danny and Claudette are providing an invaluable service to their clients, so too, says Claudette, is National Bank of Arizona in supporting their business.

“They have been a blessing to us,” Claudette says. “The bankers and tellers know us by name and go above and beyond to accommodate us. Considering my physical limitations, they meet me at my office and work around our schedules. I feel like the team is part of our family.”

To help their business grow, NB|AZ has provided financing for the Rogers’ trucks and trailers, necessary to carry and transport the materials needed for their construction projects. The bank also works with Danny and Claudette in their other business, Snowflake Tire & Auto, which they started in 2015.

“We trust them completely with our businesses,” says Claudette. “They do their homework and research the best options for our needs, whether its loans or interest rates. They really go the extra mile.”