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hi all ---
my dad, an architect, is part of a
convention in march where he has been
assigned to speak on accessibility
issues w/ a focus on design for
disabilities. he designed my beautiful new
home where i am free to live
almost entirely independently. he has asked me
to participate in his
presentation and has given me free reign. so here is
where i need help ---
I'd like to hear from all of you on the following
topics. feel free to write
as much or as little as you'd like. I'd like for
all these architects and
engineers to hear first hand from the people they
are designing for.
1 -- what are the physical obstacles you deal with
every day in your home or
in public and how do they affect you?
\
I live in northern
Minnesota with extreme cold temperatures and snow. It would be nice to have door openers
and closures work in the extreme temperatures like they do in the
summer.
It would
also be nice to have an economical way to melt snow and ice off the handicap
ramp because when you put salt or sand down you end up dragging it throughout
your home. It would be nice to have wider doors and hallways and bigger standard
bathrooms.
2 -- how would
your life be different if you had a home custom built to work
with you and
your disability? what would you ask for in that home if money
were not an
issue?
If I had unlimited funds I would want an
enclosed ramp leading from the house to the garage to protect me from the
weather. I would want automatic
door openers with battery backup that work in the extreme temperatures. Automatic faucets that turn on when you
put your hand underneath them like you find in some public bathrooms. Bigger rooms and closets with quality
wood floors. I would want the house
wired with computer access in every room so I would be able to run the house
from within any room by voice activation. Easier opening windows.
3 -- how much time
do you spend in your home in an average day?
12 -- 24 hours per
day
4 -- what
modifications did you make to your living situation following you are
r
disability/accident?
Removed all the
carpeting and installed wood floors, knocked down a wall between two bedrooms to
make one large bedroom, installed the handicap ramp, took off door knobs and put
on lever handles so I can open up outside doors and made the patio door wider by
taking out the doorstop and turning the door handle upside down. Added a phone line to the bedroom for
Internet use and put blocks underneath the computer table so I can get
underneath it with my wheelchair.
5 -- is there anything you
would like architects, engineers and designers to
know from your personal
point of view? keep in mind, these are the people
who can make or break
accessibility for us.
Design and test all equipment in extreme
cold weather like door openers and closures, vehicle lifts (hydraulics fluid
gets too thick where the ramp takes minutes to unfold and to be lowered to the
ground) that are remote controls that are easier to use. Wheelchairs need better drive systems to
keep the wheelchair going straight when driving over uneven ground and
obstacles. Have wider standard hallways and doorways in new homes in case of
accidents that cost disabilities.
Windows that are easier to open by people with disabilities.
i may be writing
again w/ more questions as my part of this project
develops. i'm in the
beginning phases and not exactly sure where it will
lead. thank you ahead of
time for your help. please include your name, age,
city and state you live
in, disability and how long you've lived with this
disability. i really think
this could be powerful w/ everyone's input.
Jim Krocka, C-5/6
incomplete, 4.5 years post, Duluth, Minnesota.
jessica 
