Re: [GBlist] minimum clearances

[Kirsten Flynn <kir@declan.com>]

Title: Re: [GBlist] minimum clearances

on 1/9/02 11:13 AM, clark ellison at cellison1@austin.rr.com wrote:

> Thank you for the different size people need different size items including homes.
>  
> I stand a little over six feet and have always had a problem with small cars and get a backache brushing my teeth at the level of the "normal" sink.
> As far as the size allowed for a toilet space, or many other things, I took care of my little brother in the last days of his life and his home was in an affluent home section. What a pain it was to try to give him dignity and still help him sit on the toilet as he was to weak to do it by himself.
> Trying to design a home that would accommodate a tall person and then having them be in a wheelchair is next to impossible. The counters that work with someone that is tall are not reachable for someone in a wheelchair. I though not a single thought about this before taking care of him. Perhaps smaller is better but then again maybe it isn't the complete answer.

I also think about this a lot, as my mother has had to be assisted by a wheelchair and walker in various stages of her battle with diabetes.  I would love to have a multigenerational living situation with her and my father, who is 6'4", my husband, also 6'4",  and my three kids, but what kind of house would accomodate all.  Not, I think my 2 story with basement 1930 house.  It is big enough, at almost 1800 sf,  (without the basement, for clarity)   but it is hard to accomodate limited mobility in a home not built for universal design.