Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Wheelchair Accessibility

[h . fang (h.fang]

Hi All:

I am also interested in learning more about accessibility for people with 
disabilities in cohousing.

Helen

-------------- Original message from Pacific Gardens Cohousing Community 
<cohousing [at] pacificgardens.ca>: -------------- 


> Hello everyone, 
> 
> Pacific Gardens Cohousing Community is currently in the design phase, and 
> our goal is to have 25 attached units (townhouse style) with a 5000 square 
> foot common house central to the building. We anticipate having 3 stories, 
> in order to minimize the footprint and preserve as much garden and natural 
> greenspace as possible. This means some of the units will be on the ground 
> floor, and others may have at least 2 stories. 
> 
> We are making critical decisions now on the layout of our units and common 
> house amenities. We would like to make the best use of interior space in 
> the units, so that they are efficient as well as comfortable. In general, 
> we don't want overly large rooms and hallways when smaller ones may give 
> more cupboards or closets and much needed storage space. 
> 
> Here are questions we would like feedback on: 
> 
> - What percentage of units should be wheelchair friendly, with wide 
> doorways, larger bathrooms ..? 
> - What size units should accommodate wheelchairs, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 
> bedroom etc.? 
> - How often has this been an issue in your cohousing community? Did people 
> have to sell and move away if they became dependent on a wheelchair? 
> - Did non wheelchair-bound people buy the specialized units, as a hedge 
> against their possible need later in life? 
> - Are units with stairs popular, or do they become a problem for current 
> residents and for resale? 
> 
> Thanks for your valued expertise. I'm sure this challenge has been met in 
> many different ways, so please respond with any advice you can share with us! 
> 
> Susana Michaelis 
> Pacific Gardens Cohousing Community, 
> Nanaimo BC, Canada 
> 250-754-3060 
> 
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