Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Required handicap access to 2nd floor/elevator

[Alexander Robin A (alexande.robi]

Having been healthy and able bodied all my life, I confess I hadn't thought a 
lot about handicap accessibility until my wife became disabled and unable to 
use stairs. I quickly became very sensitive to the issue. In the cohousing we 
are building now in Madison, WI (Arboretum Cohousing) we worked hard at making 
the common areas and the new units accessible. The problem with not building 
accessibility in right at the start is that if a member becomes disabled at 
some point after move in, they are then excluded in various ways such as not 
being able to visit certain members or not being able to use some resources in 
the common house (or even get into the common house). 
 
One thing to remember is that any one of us at any time can become unable to 
use stairs, walk at all or on rough surfaces, and so on. Unless one wants the 
situation where if that happens the person essentially has to move out, it's 
best to do what one can to provide for accessibility.
 
Robin Alexander

________________________________

From: laura [mailto:lrifkin12 [at] mac.com]
Sent: Thu 5/8/2008 2:41 PM
To: Cohousing-L
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Required handicap access to 2nd floor/elevator




Dear Matthew,

Perhaps if you really understood the "human" cost to your friend and 
others in that situation, you would not be so quick to discount the 
need for access. If it were you in the situation I suspect your 
thinking would be different.

The fact that some disabled folks cope with inhumane situations, is 
not an excuse to perpetuate attitudes and architecture of exclusion 
for people with disabilities (which ultimately will be everyone at 
some point in life).  It is these very kinds of arguments that led to 
many civil rights demonstrations and necessitated legislating access.
Left to their own devices even inclusive communities may opt to be non-
inclusive, apparently.  Truly, you might want to check with disabled 
people in your surrounding communities about what access really 
constitutes and not make assumptions which create more hardship for 
those who already have sufficient challenge.  Also, when it comes to 
access it is best to let disabled folks have a say in it.  The "super-
crip" stereotype is one that is not helpful for most folks with 
disabilities.

Perhaps the co-housing list should compile a list of co-housing sites  
where people have really thought about this issue and are committed to 
access and a list of places where there is just minimal accommodation 
and a lack of desire to do more.  That would help disabled folks to 
know where they are not really welcome and where they are fully 
embraced as members of the community.

I think it's good to see a discussion like this out in the open.
It reminds me that access like most civil rights is not  necessarily 
well understood by those who do not face  the same challenges in life.


Laura