Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Wheelchair Accessibility

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Here I am chiming in again.  I was on the development team for Eastern
Village.

Jane is absolutely right about spiral staircases.

AND interestingly enough for ALL the two story loft units at EVC each floor
has a "front door."  This means you can enter the second story from outside
the unit.  It's great for people who are using their second floor for an
office or for renting their second story to a housemate because it provides
a private entrance.  And it also means anyone w/ a disability can access the
2nd floor unlike any other standard two story unit sans elevator or lift.

However...for access from the 1st floor to the second from inside the unit
the spiral staircase IS a difficulty.

Ann Zabaldo

On 1/19/05 10:54 PM, "Jane O'Brien" <janeobrien [at] earthlink.net> wrote:

> I second Sharon Villines' notion that accessibility is much more than
> wheelchair access.
> 
> I visited the new Eastern Village Community in Silver Spring, MD last
> weekend, which has many units with lofts--and spiral staircases within them.
> Those kind of staircases are SO difficult to negotiate--and impossible for
> me when I am carrying anything.
> 
> An accommodation I appreciate is to outfit doors with "lever handles" rather
> than doorknobs. Those of us with arthritis in our hands find "turning" jar
> lids and opening doors difficult.
> 
> 
> Jane O'Brien
> janeobrien [at] earthlink.net
> 
> 
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