2003 . Issue 2 . Fall
The Voice of Independent Living in the Rochester Area

RCIL's newsletter title commemorates the final words of disability rights leader, Justin Dart, who wrote "I am with you always. Lead on! Lead on!" Dart is best known for his work in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Access: Home

When you see it "done right", it looks so easy, so aesthetic, and so sensible. It becomes ironic that "the world" doesn't view accessibility and visitability in American homes as a priority.

When seeking accessible living space, people with mobility disabilities have several options:

1. Build a home that is fully accessible
2. Buy a home and add accessibility features
3. Rent an apartment that is already accessible
4. Rent from a landlord willing to create or enhance accessibility.

"When Sarah had her accident in 1991," says Gail Furguson, "we lived in a home with two flights of stairs, and over the next few years, it became obvious that this was going to be too difficult to manage." Her daughter Sarah is a quadriplegic, and uses a wheelchair. Fred Dievendorf, currently RCIL's Accessibility Services Coordinator, was the first person they called at the time. He helped them to see that making modifications to their previous home would be more costly than building a new home, with accessibility planned into the design.

"Once we sold our old home, the costs all evened out," Gail says. Another cost saving was that they didn't have to hire an architect; RCIL worked with their builders to recommend modifications to the new home.

Sarah, who is 15, and a member of RCIL's youth group, thrives in her environment. She is able to access all areas of the home and the outdoors, including an accessible dairy barn that came with the property.

And when visiting the Furgusons' home, one is struck by the open spaces indoors, which are both functional for wheelchair users, as well as beautiful and inviting for any visitor. Removal of walls, and careful planning maximize the use of every square foot of the two-bedroom ranch, making it seem much larger inside.

Accessible environmental controls allow Sarah greater independence.

Finger Lakes DDSO provided a stair lift that allows Sarah access to the basement of the home.

Paved walkways make it possible for Sarah to access her yard. Sarah's father's hobby is gardening.

When basic visitability is required, often adding accessibility features to a home is the answer. Even America's most accessible homes -- ranch homes -- are habitually built with a two-step entrance.

RCIL's ramp program has assisted many homeowners with solutions in such cases. RCIL can create plans, and coordinate the permit process, volunteer labor, materials purchase, and ramp construction.

"We think access should be functional, and also look great," says Mark Rubright, owner of A to Z Contractors, who recently finished a ramp for a local homeowner (see photos at right). "We worked efficiently and kept the cost down; and the result is a ramp that really works for the residents."

The finished ramp.
Cost: approximately $2000.

This ranch house in Monroe County presents the usual problem of a two-step entrance. This family opted for a ramp in the garage.

A to Z Contractors working on construction of the ramp.

Jim Leary moved to his accessible apartment in Kennedy Tower on Plymouth Avenue two years ago; and it was an apartment that was immediately ready for his use. Kennedy Tower is unique in that the accessible units take two studio apartments and combine them to create the necessary space for access. There are two wheelchair accessible units on each floor of the Tower.

"When I moved in, I didn't have more than a month's wait," says Jim. Often, though, subsidized apartment buildings with accessible units do have waiting lists. "Townhouses, and especially the suburban townhouses have the huge waiting lists," says Jim. "The subsidized towers tend to have more availability."

Though his unit is basically accessible, it is not perfect. Jim is in the process of refining the accessibility features; as soon as he fills out the Housing Authority's paperwork, they will be moving his kitchen sink to a more accessible location, and lowering it; they will be lowering the bathroom sink; and relocating the controls for the range hood in the kitchen (see photos at left).

"I've been very pleased with the Housing Authority," Jim continues. "They also helped make greater accessibility for my van, by creating a space and a half for me. Sometimes you just need to know who to ask; so it's good to start with RCIL for information, and go from there."

The Rochester Housing Authority made modifications to this apartment kitchen at no cost to the renter; note the sink in the photo above requires a right-angle turn, not possible with most power chairs.

With simple modifications, as shown above, the renter can pull up directly to the sink for easy access.

Jane Chase, RCIL's housing advocacy specialist, assists consumers each day who run up against obstacles with housing. "When looking for accessible apartments, there are often waiting lists," she says, "or, sometimes there is an older population in the complex, which may not be the ideal match for a particular consumer."

Jane describes herself as the RCIL staff person who deals with the fundamentals of matching up renters with landlords. In dealing with the shortage of accessible rental units, she often finds a landlord willing to make modifications, and, if the renter likes the property, she then turns the project over to Fred (RCIL's Accessibility Services Coordinator).

"There are some landlords who have indicated to us that they will be willing to allow ramping, or other minor modifications to their properties," says Jane. RCIL maintains this list of landlords, and several consumers have found successful solutions with this resource.

How the process works: when a consumer comes to Jane, if there is a need for accessibility modifications, Fred helps to work with them; and then often Marty Maxwell, RCIL's Benefits Advocate, is brought in to help with benefits and income issues.

"If we are working with a consumer who is eligible to convert from a renter to a homeowner, then that opens up more opportunity to obtain a property which is either accessible or easily modified," says Jane. She guides consumers through the Home-Buy program.

Make your quest for access a success story; contact RCIL today!