My youngest returned to college today. He’s local, so we both drove over to the apartment he’s renting with a friend. I waited on the sidewalk as he went up the three steps into the building, then up the flight of stairs to his second floor apartment. He inspected the rooms, and then came back [...]
Aug 212009
Sep 242007
Lafayette adopted what is likely Colorado’s toughest residential access measure Tuesday night, mandating that a quarter of new homes built in the city guarantee access to people with disabilities. The city’s “visitability” ordinance, passed by a 7-0 vote, requires that 25 percent of new homes constructed in Lafayette include at least one stairless entrance into [...]
Nov 292006
Ruth (Wheelie Catholic) has got some discussion going about Universal Design and Visitability. Universal Design is based on the idea that products and environments should be designed in a way to make them usable by as many people as possible without adaption. It’s a very big (and important) idea. Visitability, on the other hand, is [...]
Aug 252006
Being a wheelchair user certainly cramps your style when it comes to getting into other people’s houses. My boss has a monthly after-work gathering for his immediate staff; it rotates between 6 or 7 people’s houses. I’m tired of getting the invite, with no mention of accessibility (again, we’re talking about a small group, not [...]
May 142006
Wheelchair Friendly Homes Nearing Completion, from the Chatanoogan. Interesting what qualifies as “wheelchair accessible”. Notice that this home has what looks like 5-6 steps to the front entrance. Apparently the accessible entrance is hidden in the garage. This hiding of accessibility features stands in contrast to the renovation of Lake Park Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, [...]
Sep 062004
This is a shout-out to my sister-in-law N in Seattle, who is having a ramp built onto her four foot high front porch. I really appreciate both the thoughtfulness and considerable financial commitment she’s putting into this.
Jun 182004
Taking visitability to new heights: Wheelchair Accessible Dock Open For Summer: Cynthia’s friend Sue Hoffman bought the four acres of land about three years ago and got the idea to make trails, a picnic area and a fishing dock all wheelchair accessible.
Jan 312004
I joined a new choir (no grass growing under me!), and had to stop by the director’s house to pick up music. She’s giving me directions to the house, and ends with “…it’s the one with the small gray porch and the wheelchair ramp.” Wheelchair ramp! Sure enough, she’s got a nice little ramp. I [...]
May 242003
I’m currently reading Phillip Simmons’ book Learning to Fall. I like what he has to say about acceptance. I certainly don’t practice it very well. I saw a good sig on Wheelchairjunkie: a building that is not accessible is an economic crime scene. From the New York Times: Architecture in the Age of Accessibility. This [...]
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