Cohousing-L Mailing List: J Blank's excellent ideas on coho for people with physical limits

['Judith Wisdom (wisdom]

Joani Blank's message sent out over this list giving a zillion things 
people with physical limitations of different sorts could do to 
participate in a coho community knocked me out.  It was a better list 
than I could come up with.

If you missed it, I'll resend it to the list.

Yeh, it's better to have in a society, family, community, world, cosmos, 
whatever everyone at the top of their form.  It's better for the 
individual to be at the top of their form.  Take it from me.  I've been 
there most of my life and I know.  But since those of us who aren't do 
manage to function in living sites that aren't particularly living 
friendly we'd at least not be a drag on the closer knit communities that 
coho can be and we'd be lots happier.  It's true that the demands of such 
communities (demands in exchange for the support/close knit stuff) is THE 
problem, but Joani pointed out the zillion ways we could meet that 
challenge.  And, let's face it, or maybe we can't, even when our 
contribution isn't absolutely equal to those who are top form, aren't 
their some social/moral/ethical/spritual values that might suggest that 
there's even value in dealing with that.

I hope someday in the not too distant future to find a coho community 
where I like the setting and people and they me, and we'd come to an 
accommodation so that neither category would feel either ripped off or a 
burden.

Thanks Joani.  Your ideas were a shot in the arm to this topic.

Judith Wisdom   wisdom [at] pobox.upenn.edu

P.S.  I'm busy writing some other stuff but I have in mind to write 
something very practical about what it would take to include people with 
physical handicaps or people with chronic illnesses into coho 
communities.  Anyone wishing to send me ideas, please do.  I'll be sure 
to check with you for permission to include what you say and will 
certainly give you full credit for your ideas.  Clearly Joani's comments 
will be among these.