Breaking Barriers: Accessibility at Home a Costly Process
April 1, 2019 Greg Thomson
Blair Crawford
Updated: March 30, 2019
Its just a few centimetres high, but the sill of the sliding glass door that leads to the back deck of her Barrhaven home is a mountain to Jennifer Glanz.
Its little, but I cant get over it, said Glanz, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. Glanz and her husband, Eli, have already installed a $4,000 electric lift in their garage so that Jennifer can get out of the house, and recently completed a renovation to make their bathroom barrier free.
They moved with their daughter Emelia, 3 1/2, to a bungalow a few years ago when Jennifers deteriorating condition made it impossible for her to manage the stairs in their former two-storey home. The small ramp over the door sill is the next item on their reno list for summer if we ever get a summer, Jennifer jokes.
Its the next project. And a ramp down to the grass. Emilia will be playing on the grass this summer and it would be nice to be there with her.
Whether its a senior who wants to age in place in her own home, a person battling [...]