For most, the daily routine of up-outta-bed, shower, work, shop and sleep gets done with only minor annoyances along the way.
But for people with disabilities, every one of those can be a challenge or even impossible depending on the places they go in a day. To combat that, the District of Sechelt is poised to adopt some housing design guidelines aimed to make sure new homes are accessible to all.
André Boel, a community planner for the District, presented the draft guidelines to people with disabilities, architects, designers and builders last Tuesday (Nov. 9) at the Seaside Centre followed by presentations from some experts in the field. The guidelines come from a year and a half of work by the District's accessibility advisory committee.
The guidelines, which are voluntary, encourage things like lower entrances to homes, wider doors, more space next to toilets and planning in kitchen and bathroom layout to allow someone in a wheel chair or walker to have ease of access.
Regan Myers, a Quali-cum Beach-based designer, builder and accessibility consultant, who is also in a wheelchair, was the keynote speaker for the event.
Myers said planning is one thing, but there is a stark lack of enforcement of building codes when it comes to features for people with accessibility challenges - even at the government building where he was delivering his speech.
"I could not get out of my van today in a handicapped parking spot because they're not up to code because the inspectors didn't do their job," Myers said.
Myers said the lip on the doorframe to the Seaside Centre's main entrance is too high off the ground as well and also in violation of building codes.
During a rousing speech to the 30 in attendance, Myers reminded people with disabilities that the traditional safeguards for their interests like government regulations aren't doing the job and that disabled people must exercise their influence as consumers to have their needs met.
Myers praised the District's new guidelines, but said the one glaring omission is a recommendation to increase the amount of open space next to a toilet for access for wheelchair bound people. He said, in a perfect world, the suggestions in guidelines would go even farther and would be mandatory. He argues that as the senior-aged portion of the population continues to swell, the basic accessibility features of a home are going to be no longer about visitability, but about basic functionality, and it will be much cheaper for everyone to "get it right the first time" rather than renovate as time goes on.
Jane Hopkins, executive director for the Coast Community Builders' Association, emphatically said the CCBA is all on board with the guidelines.
"The Builders' Asso-ciation is all for it. We've been on this advisory committee now for a year and a half," she said.
Hopkins said even though many of the suggestions could be perceived as biting into a builder's profit margin by increasing square footage or using more expensive materials, there are efficiencies to be had and the increases in cost are minor.
"I've got assurances from many of the builders that $1,000 or $2,000 extra up front will get all the modifications necessary for an adaptable home. It's not an additional expense," she said.
