Wheelchair Accessibility
Label us able is the popular phrase coined during the 1981 International Year of the Disabled. It continues to ring true. Give disabled people a barrier-free environment and they'll quickly become "able".Barriers to free movement are one thing preventing Canada's 2.3 million disabled citizens from making the social contribution they'd like to make. Facilitating the mobility of that 9.8 per cent of our population means re-thinking our built environment.
The first stumbling block is the family home — whether it's an apartment or a single house. Before you start building ramps and lowering counters, consult the national, provincial and local agencies that exist solely to help with such projects. The Resource Manual of Canadian Information Services for the Physically Disabled, published by the Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled, is considered the primer for both beginners and professionals alike. In it you'll find references to the resources available in your area, including contacts in rural municipalities.
How it's done
Making a home completely accessible to wheelchairs takes discussion, planning, money — and patience. An ambulant person will find it difficult to envisage all the needs of someone in a wheelchair. You must imagine yourself totally dependent on that wheelchair for mobility.
The extent to which you renovate or re-design depends on the physical characteristics of the person in the wheelchair. Greater consideration will have to be given to someone whose sight is impaired or who lacks the use of a hand.
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December 4, 2008