Cohousing-L Mailing List: A working group on including people with disabilities

['Judith Wisdom (wisdom]

Though I'm not active in the disability movement, the recent questions 
that have been raised, along with some of the answers, make clear that 
regardless of the terms you use, there are people who are less than 
perfectly and terrifically healthy in as many ways as things can go wrong 
with the human body.  Or will be.  And, that has been pointed out, with 
aging, similar disadvantages and losses in ability to do this or that occur.

Also raised (by me) is that if your disability has forced you out of your 
former career you may be in considerable financial straits, although this 
doesn't happen to everyone, but just to some.

I'd be willing to participate in a working group on this issue if someone 
is willing to organize it and we could get participation by people who do 
have disabilities as well as those knowledgeable about housing financing 
help and those interested and knowledgeable about various types of 
design adaptations (or as Leah suggested, the notion of universality in 
design).

I don't know if there is sufficient interest or if this is possible via 
this medium, but I thought I'd put out the word.  I wish I could 
volunteer to organize it, but I'm at work on another project at the 
moment and with some energy limits due to chronic fatigue syndrome I 
can't push the envelope.

Judith Wisdom  wisdom [at] pobox.upenn.edu