Accessible house

[elizilla]

I haven't posted about this before now because I love my current house and the story is already getting overwhelmingly big to write in an LJ post. But we have decided to build an accessible house. We have bought a lot right here in the same neighborhood, we've got a verbal agreement with a contractor, and we're working on a design. It's going to have green features and big porches, and it's on higher ground.

I'm sad because I hate to leave this beautiful house. But I am struggling with all the stairs. It has gotten steadily worse.

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that your health is getting worse.

I'm sure you'll love the new house, too. And honestly, as a physically-abled person, I think a lot of accessibility features enhance the place for physically-abled people as well.

[elizilla]

Yeah, part of what we are doing with the design, is that when you make access a priority from the start, you can integrate it better and not make things ugly. For example, instead of tacking a ramp onto an existing house, you make a porch in that shape, that's just a normal porch - but happens to let you roll to the garage. The bathroom will be large, for access, but has normal fixtures now (since I am not in a chair) but the plumbing will be set up to be easily reconfigured if I need a low sink later, and the shower will be roll-in, but made to just look luxurious, instead of like some scary hospital thing. The walls will have normal drywall but underneath they'll have the framing structure that will support handrails anywhere we may decide that we need them later. The kitchen is going to have one section of counter that's lower, but it'll be designed as a dining nook. The hallways will be wider, and the doors will all be 36". And I have been telling Steve I don't want anything with that terrible industrial stainless steel finish. :-)

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

That's just complete genius.

One thing that's standard in Europe that was rarely seen until disability features started being mandated in the US is door *handles* rather than knobs. I remember when I visited Germany at the age of 9 I thought that was complete genius and why don't we have these in the US? You can manipulate those with an elbow if you have an armful of Stuff, for instance. (The downside is that pets can manipulate them.)

[greyhat.livejournal.com]

their current house has handles on most of the doors. I certainly appreciated them, as my rheumatoid arthritis, while not progressing, still gives me hand pain and a weak grasp.

[elizilla]

Yes, the current house has doorknobs that are still knobs, not giant levers, but they're quite elliptical rather than round. They are comfortable to operate, even when you are weak. Definitely a feature to use again.