Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Sharon Villines (sharonsharonvillines.com) | |
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2018 09:17:38 -0800 (PST) |
We have residents with a severe disability in our community and it is amazing how easily they are integrated into the community, and especially into work. Those fears have been unwarranted. One caveat may be that our people are very independent and resourceful in finding and using larger community support, and were before moving-in. My concern about communities marketing themselves as supportive, open to all levels of ability, etc. is that it can (1) attract people with unrealistic expectations and (2) attract too many people with a disability that requires particular community support. The community can be quickly overwhelmed with households needing help—not just those with ongoing special needs. Last week’s list of people needing help with meals had 3 households on it. One needing daily help due to illness and two needing help with 2 new babies. And at least one other was not on the list when others in their position would have asked for help. 4 of 43 units is close to 10%. Needs are most often not be due to disability at all. As with all other things, it depends on the individual personality more than on physical ability. Rotating jobs is unlikely to work in any diverse community — people who do computer work may not enjoy gardening at all. And the reverse. Those are as important as identified disabilities. We had one person who left the facilities team because had a particular disability to understand how mechanical things work. Adjusting the door closers was impossible for her. But there are so many jobs needing to be done, there is something for everyone. Be realistic in marketing the community. What is the best language to convey what you can and cannot do? Bring this down to the personal level. One guide for what facilities you need is to build to the activities members are engaged in before move-in. The people who want a darkroom because they have always wanted one are not anymore likely to use it after move-in. But another community with a number of already active meditators and yoga devotees, built a room for mediation and yoga that it is used regularly. In planning for what you will expect community members to do for each other, look at what you and they do before move-in. While we had several switches from people who were very involved pre-move-in and very little after move-in and the reverse, basically people didn’t become new people. The introverts did not become extroverts. People didn’t all of the sudden start cooking for crowds just because they always wanted to but only now had the chance. People who had been living independently and utilizing larger community resources will most likely continue to do so. Sharon ---- Sharon Villines Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC http://www.takomavillage.org
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing, (continued)
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Allison Tom, March 5 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Ann Zabaldo, March 5 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Allison Tom, March 6 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Allison Tom, March 6 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Sharon Villines, March 5 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Philip Dowds, March 5 2018
- Re: Experiences with/as disabled people in cohousing Sharon Villines, March 7 2018
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