![]() It may be possible to retrofit stair lifts into the stairwells or wheelchair lifts into balconies near the stairwell. These homes are difficult to accommodate inexpensively since there is often no space available inside the structure to install long sloping wheelchair ramps to access the various floors. There may be an entrance area inside the building at ground level, with stairs inside the entrance that immediately go up and down from the ground level. ![]() ![]() Split level homes tend to be designed with multiple internal stairways and half-floor landings inside the building. This ramp can then be removed at a later time, reverting to the stairway entrance if the handicapped access is no longer necessary. These homes can be relatively easily modified to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, with the installation of a long low-rise ramp outside the building, up to the house entrance, placed over the existing stairway. Many ranch style homes and manufactured homes utilize a main floor slightly raised above ground level, but have an overall flat layout with either a crawlspace or slightly raised basement below for plumbing, electrical, and heating systems. These programs improve the ability of homeowners to fund house modifications, through renovating existing houses. The federal government of Canada and the provincial governments work jointly to share the cost of offering reimbursement programs for homeowners in need of house renovations for accessibility. Homeowners may be challenged by the need to find renovators familiar with accessible design issues. As a result, the great majority of new single-family homes replicate the barriers in existing homes. In spite of these advancements, the housing types where most people in the United States reside – single-family homes – are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, or any other federal law with the exception of the small percentage of publicly funded homes impacted by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In some cases two food preparation areas may be combined into a single kitchen to permit both standing and wheelchair users. Sinks and cooking areas typically need to be designed without cupboards below them, to permit the legs of the wheelchair user to roll underneath, and countertops may be of reduced height to accommodate a sitting rather than standing user. Lighting and thermostat controls should not be above and power outlets should not be below the reach of a person in a wheelchair.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |