04/20/2022
I am so grateful I was able to be a part of this discussion! I wish I could actually be up in Canada to attend the Livable Design Summit in person.
Universal design within homes is necessary not only for an aging population but also younger individuals like myself that desire to live independently and have physical limitations.
Living with an aggressive and progressive condition like Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis can make living independently challenging, and losing my independence has been a fear of mine since day one of this health battle.
It is not as easy as just picking up and moving somewhere else. I bought a home in 2015, and this house can exacerbate these challenges. When I bought this house, my MS had not progressed as drastically as it has in the past few years, so it was not as much of a concern.
I have to ascend stairs every day, push my walker through ill-lit, narrow halls/doorways (it feels like I am pushing a shopping cart around), cook in a small kitchen that has minimal counter space, both bathrooms provide ample opportunity to injure myself… my house and most houses are not built with disability in mind, even though at some point in everyone’s life, a loss of physical ability (at least to some extent) is likely.
A home should not add to challenges, and I cannot wait to make modifications to my home to make it a “Home Smart Home”, enabling me to have easier days. ☺️
