I had no idea what this was about until I started working for the Center for Disability Rights (CDR). The Inclusive Home Design Act (H.R. 4202) was introduced in the House of Representatives on 11/15/2007 by Representative Janice D. Schakowsky. It requires all newly constructed, federal funded single family homes and town houses to meet the standards of visitablity for persons with disabilities. The home has to have one level with accessibility features. These features are a zero-step entrance, wide enough doors, reachable environmental controls, and a usable bathroom. With these simple features, a house becomes usable for a person with a mobility disability.

I believe that all people have a right to live in housing that meets their needs. People with disabilities have a right to live independently in the community and the Inclusive Home Design Act would signify progress toward securing that right.

This issue may not affect you… today. However, we do not know what the future will hold for us. We are all getting older. There are various illnesses and diseases that may affect mobility at any age, such as stroke, arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s and many others. I visited an elderly woman in her 70s. She needed a wheelchair to get around and had limited movement of her hands. She owned her own home, but it was not accessible. She did not have access to the rooms upstairs and she could not use her own bathroom. This situation has made me think of what the future may hold for me, family members, or friends. We need to be proactive and ensure that future housing is accessible to people that we care about!

The Regional Center for Independent Living has accessibility consultants that can come to your home and assist you in making changes to your living environment. They can also help you find resources to build a ramp for your home or other equipment needed for you to remain independent. In addition to this, RCIL has a loan closet of adaptive independent living equipment including, but not limited to walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, etc. For more information call (585) 442-6470.

If you are presently planning on purchasing a new home, or planning to downsize to a smaller home during retirement, consider the specifications needed to make the home accessible:

• an entrance that does not have steps
• doors that are 32 inches wide, particularly the bathroom door
• grab bars in the shower/bathtub and close to the toilet
• thermostat and light switches between 15 and 48 inches from the floor.

The chance of this issue affecting you is imminent. What will you do if your mother, father, son, daughter or other family member needs a wheelchair and cannot come to visit you? If they are able to enter your home can they use the restroom? These daily tasks are taken for granted by many of us but are a barrier to others.

The Inclusive Home Design Act has been referred to the House subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. To encourage your Congressional Representative to become a cosponsor, visit: http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=11372861