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Right now, there are an estimated 125,000 local persons over the age of 65. Many of these people need help in their living environment to make even simple chores and movements easier.

"We have staff that will go out to homes and help them with an assessment," says Mark Obataki, executive director of the Hawaii Centers for Independent Living, a nonprofit group. "It's a mapping job but not the actual design work. We also can help them apply for a loan."

There are some 20,000 different products available to help physically impaired persons, many of them for the home. These can cost only a few dollars up to $65,000 for a residential elevator and the necessary added home construction work.

Obataki's group can call up this information from its computer data base. Much of this information will be displayed for the first time Feb. 26-27 when a "Tools for Life" exposition is planned at the Blaisdell Center. It will showcase accessible technology for the construction, tourism, health, education and recreation industries.

The Hawaii Commission on Persons with Disabilities is one of the sponsors, along with the Hawaii Centers for Independent Living.

If you want a beautifully designed home, with accessible features, members of the American Society of Interior Designers can help. Familiar companies, such as American Standard Inc., have designed complete bathrooms with special showers, sinks and toilets.

Sharon Fountain, owner of Access Projects Hawaii Inc., says that 95 percent of her business is in bathrooms.

A full bathroom renovation is about $8,000. That includes widening the doorway from the standard 28 inches to 36 inches, replacing the faucet in the sink, installing grab bars, and ripping out the bathtub and putting in a roll-in shower for wheelchairs. The new shower also comes with all new plumbing and a seat mounted on the wall.

A breakdown of smaller jobs:

Replacing the toilet, $450 to $850

Installing grab bars, $300 to $600

Putting grab bars in the tub area, $450

Removing the cabinet under the sink and replacing the faucet, $1,500

Widening doorway, $525

Putting in a hand-held shower, $350 to $750

All of these are installed prices, with the labor.

Improvement costs are general and can vary widely by the home, and specific design. For those who can't afford a major change, some products can do the job but won't have the designer look.

"A man told me that he had just done a $30,000 bathroom remodeling for his mother who hated it. He could have spent $110 for a transfer bench (so she could get into the shower) and saved a lot of money," said Laura Steelquist, general manager of CR Newton Co. Ltd. The 55-year-old company at Punahou and Beretania streets features many home products.

These products (no installation cost) include:

Wall-mounted grab bars, $29-$109

Portable bathtub grab bars, $66

Toilet seat additions to add about 6-inches (and get to 17-inches in height), $50-$100

Rails for side of toilet, $50

Gripping devices for reaching objects up high, $19

Easier handling kitchen utensils, $5-$300

Access Lifts of Hawaii installs mechanical stair climbers, lifts and residential elevators for those who can't climb stairs.

"It's important that people deal with a licensed elevator contractor," says Emily Godinet, company co-owner. "We specialize in accessibility products and don't do the standard commercial elevators."

The company also handles several aluminum ramps from AlumiRamp Inc. of Quincy, Mich. These can make it easy for wheelchairs to get over curbs, and up entrances into homes. Prices range from about $146 for the smallest curb ramp to $919 for the largest portable, folding ramp.

Obatake provided information on some products. They start as low as $6.95 for the Big Lamp Switch, a large knob with three points that makes it easier for people who have little strength or mobility in their hands. It replaces standard light switches; no tools are required. This is distributed by The Lighthouse Inc.

The Cat's Eye Motion Detector Automatic Light Control is designed to turn lights on and off in response to motion. The device is an adapter installed in the bulb socket like a light bulb and a sensor which is mounted on the wall. Cost is about $25. Manufactured by Westek of San Diego, Calif.

Home builders are starting to deal with mobility problems. Builder Robert Armstrong offered buyers the option of adding accessible features to his Green View Villas project. Most of the changes cost only a few hundred dollars. The fully accessible bathroom costs $10,000.

Low-cost loans are available for work on homes.

Government provides low-cost loans to make homes more accessible to disabled.

The state has $200,000 in its "housing alteration loan program." The maximum individual loan of $25,000, at 3 percent for 30 years, is through state Housing Finance and Development Corp., using funds from First Hawaiian Bank.

Certain eligibility requirements apply, including owner-occupancy for life of the loan. Call 587-0569 for more information.

The city Department of Housing and Community Development has a "rehabilitation loan program" with 2 percent interest rate. Maximum loan is $60,000. Income limits apply based on the size of the family.

There is about $2.7 million in the revolving loan fund, which started with federal community development block grants in the early 1970s. As loans are repaid they are put back in the fund. Call 523-4207 for more information.

The Hawaii Assistive Technology (HAT) loan program through American Savings Bank offers loans at about 1.5 percent lower than normal rates. The Hawaii Centers for Independent Living (HCIL) executive committee reviews the programs' policies and guidelines.

Loans are available from $500 to $30,000, using income and financial guidelines. Call 532-7110 or 1-(800) 645-3007 for details.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has loan money available for Hawaiians, available through First Hawaiian Bank. It is for improvements on Hawaiian homestead lands, by owner-occupants. Maximum loan is $50,000 and the interest rate is 6.78 percent. There are household income limits to get a loan. For information call 525-6386.