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Show MAY 9, 2001 WASATCH COUNTY COURIER Ree Improving Accessibility for the Disabled — are you thinking ahead to your ‘‘twilight years''? Accessible design and construction is becoming increasingly. important to American homeowners, as longevity increases. While accessible| design and construction is growing in popularity, con- sideration for the physically disabled isn't new. In 1990, the U.S. Congress established “a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on _the basis of disability." Among other things, this legislation, known “Americans with as the Disabilities in public shower stall that is wheelchair accessible. These units come complete. with grab bars and a fold-down seat. Some remodeling (wall relocation) might be er who was a wheelchair user. While the ramp made Nana's life easier, if we knew then what we know now, we are confident that her life could have been — _required in order for your bathroom to made more comfortable yet. accommodate Although a ramp is one of the more - . manufacturers such shower stalls (floor and walls) that do can improve the comfort and safety of people with physical disabilities: not have a “curb" at the front. That © Door openings for makes them wheelchair accessible. that are wide a wheelchair e Install sinks through can make all of the space in a home accessible. The ADA suggests a clearance of at least 32 inches when a door is open at a 90-degree angle. no more than buildings include elements that make the space accessible for people with physical disabilities. The ADA also provides non-manda- 2 tory design criteria that can be -employed in private residences tomake the space safer and more acces- sible for people with physical disabili- — ties, While these design elements are Many, a few examples include ramps, wider door openings, and kitchens and bathrooms that are accessible. More information on accessible design can be obtained at the ADA website : 34 least 27 inches of knee clearance below. Also, wrap all exposed plumb_ ing pipes with a foam material to bre ~ vent legi injury. In addition, an excellent book on the subject is “Building for a Lifetime: The Design and Construction of Fully Accessible Homes'' by Margaret 7 © Wylde with Sam Baron-Robins; Clark and Adrian Taunton Press, December, 1993: e Provide smooth transitions between different types of flooring and limit carpet pile thickness to one-half meh. - © The lowest edge of a mirror above a sink should be no more fan To save cost, people are incorporating disabled-accessible features into their remodeling projects. 36 inches above the floor. What's more, home buyers — especially e Prone 3 60-inch wheelchair empty nesters looking to downsize — e Install Ge: ee at toilets, ‘he = turnaround in a bathroom. | are asking builders to incorporate and showers. The ADA provides. spe-. many of these features into their new cific criteria for the size and placement e Install a toilet that is 17 inches to homes. os of grab bars. 19 inches above the floor ce the top of For more home fee remeat tips the toilet seat). and information visit our website at e Grab bars nd waleraroct seats www..onthehouse. com. are other popular safety and comfort | e i the kitchen, counters should enhancements that can be made to a tub or shower stall. For people who measure no more than 34 inches above the finished floor and should er t EL el the more you begin to think these people are just like the rest of us. And _. then the thought hits... If they can do it, I can too! Traveled!” But wait, I’m getting a little cynical here when all I want to do is change your oil. How about no tax for - Libertarians? : My next idea was to hop on 2 | Zen/Feng Shui bandwagon, but to— give it a little Western zing. May I Consequently, while getting ready for the Bijou Spring Art Market, I came up with a list of potential arts and crafts that I could contribute. They are . all intellectually copyrighted, mind you, so this is just to pique your interest: _ aes 7 My first idea was a new line of clothing for sophisticated buyers. It | would include the “Great American Birthday Suit’—consisting of a hanger — and a plastic dry-cleaning bag. (I toyed with the idea of marketing it as “wrinkle-free,” but wasn’t sure I could guarantee that over time. Plus, I knew od — HETMBURGER SPECIAL TO THE COURIER spent the last week surrounded by artists and artisans, and I’m feeling that my normally liberal return policy a bit dull. That happens. when they start hauling pottery, stained-glass, and artdeco mirrors into your home; followed by willow furniture, wooden sculpture, and metal art the shape of South American fish. So many talented people out there—whichI knew before— but by helping them to set up for the show, I had to actually meet them. ‘Unfortunately, they were great. It is easy to excuse my own lack of artistic talent by thinking of artists as a pinwheel and a Yo-Yo as part of the “Performance ees Do- It-Yourself ‘Kat’? view the job market anyway. Like the. way. Nikkei or NYSE, there’s. nowhere for — this tree to go but up! lam also working on a new line of Star Charts where you not only get to and my ideas are heavy on the latter. In fact, now that I think about it, all my “art” is verbally-dependant. Which brings me right back to where I was before I started fantasizing about being a great visual/creative artist. I’m evening considering part- — nering with Clio the Jamaican psychic, who would send commands to and receive tribute from your subjects for as little as $4.95 per minute! But all of these ideas struck me as requiring some sustained effort (or at least a drive to the dry-cleaners), so | was still searching for the right vehicle to artistic fortune and fame when I — 1” that with a little TLC, this gift will grow in size and value with little or no effort—since that’s how most of them there. little hung up on how to accomplish the 2-pant sale but, really, the possibilities are endless! For the less canna I envisioned a line of wacky, straight-fromthe-headlines T-shirts to impress friends and politicos alike. You could be the first to sport the new slogan “2002 Winter Olympics: We've - separate breed of human being—you Loosened our SLOCs!”—with an know, kind of serendipitous genetic | image of a penny, nickel, dime, quarmutations. But when you find out that ter, and fifty-cent piece taking posithey have hangnails and mortgages tions as. the Olympic rings. Or perand rebellious teens, well, it kind of © haps a group picture of Western govdestroys that illusion. In fact, the ernors—en suit, of course—driving more you hear about the hangnails steamrollers through a pristine forest and mortgages and rebellious teens, with the caption: “Take the Roadless torn $1 bills. Tell graduating seniors renamed to Calvin Higgenbottom) but you are also named Supreme Leader over any life forms that may be living “Emperor's New Clothes Line.” tim as each. It’s cute, it’s portable, it’s the “New Paradigms for the 21st Century! Too literal? How about a crusty - roll and a rock glued together with the words “Rock and Roll Forever!” paint~ ed below? A cleaned-up, discarded present the “Money Tree.” This little © TV. remote with the words “Virtual Parenthood” written on the back? A bonsai was carefully cultivated to grow. up through Japanese yen coins and have a star named after you (M-1385 — would be seriously tested by the new product.) Add-ajeweled scepter to the. outfit and. suddenly it becomes the t O Talent, Where Art Thou? THE LAS MATTHEW C vat. www.uskoj.gov/crt/ fia adahom1.ht - mand at www.access-board.gov. inches above the finished floor with at . to pass 8 Shelving height and closet rods — should be no more than 48 inches above the floor. prefabricated © obvious, there are other elements that enough Moreover, there should be at least 27 inches of under-counter clearance for wheelchair access. a unit. Several produce Act _(ADA)," mandates that the design and construction back porch for use by our grandmoth- replaced with a molded prefabricated project out no more than 21 inches. | _ how “‘user-friendly" would your home be? How accessible is your home? When making home improvements, . _ have difficulty stepping over and into a tub, a traditional tub or shower can be came upon the best idea of all. The success of the Pet Rock has haunted me for years—I mean it was a rock : : I’m losing you, aren’t I? I know, I know. I feel the same We There is art and there is “faux” may have hangnails and mort-~ gages in common (sorry, no rebellious teens yet!) but otherwise I am way out of the league of the many great artists in this valley and surrounding ones. At this stage in the game, I should content myself to be at least competent in my own creative medium of words. _ Maybe a little more than competent. _ Maybe a lot? Maybe even the Rodin of words? (I keep asking Anna to com‘pare my kiss to his.) Maybe even— dare I say it—marketable?! Now how much did you pay to. read this article again? | with googly eyes pasted on it, for heav- en’s sake, and millions of them sold! Millions! So, may I present the 2001 Te aaa AATIE CATT apa ai Tf you ora member of your fa should become physically disabled, ~ Qur first experience with such accessibility goes back nearly 40 years when our folks had a ramp built at our | Matthew Heimburger 1s a professor update: two 2001-minted dimes glued of American civilization at Brigham Young University. He lives here in the — together with a googly eye pasted on Heber Valley with his wife and son. | | MORRIS CAREY ¥ Eee rere POON 6 ARE RT OR Rey ET BD oo, SAMS SL ANsi alg NK AR . BY JAMES AND |