Randi Destefano headshot(Lessons Learned About Accessibility)

AKA My Cobbler Moment

What is it they say about the Cobbler’s children? I seem to remember a folktale about a cobbler who was so busy making shoes for his customers that his own children went barefoot. Before I relay my fairytale I would like to state for the record, in my defense, that I had never really thought of myself as a cobbler….OR as aging! But I should have known better.

I’m a professional interior designer and I help busy people create authentic living spaces that suit their lives and reflect who they truly are. Part of helping people reflect their lifestyle in their homes involves planning for their future lifestyle! I’m a certified aging-in-place specialist (or CAPS for short) and I specialize in Universal Design – designing or modifying homes to so they are usable by everyone, no matter their ability.

So then my cobbler moment happened.  The need for me to put into practice what I’ve been helping my design clients do for years! But, alas, for me, it was too late.  But no point in telling the ending before the story has even begun….let me tell you my story…………..

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Once upon a time a young, healthy baby boomer couple purchased a three-story castle that had no elevator.  They loved their spacious new, modern home!  But knowing they wouldn’t live in it for many years, they chose not to modify it.  After all, they were relatively active!  The stairs were no problem, and offered great exercise.

Then one day the handsome husband needed to have his knee replaced. Realizing that their bedroom was on the top floor, and stairs would be out of the question, the happy couple began to ponder.  Where would he live during his rehab?  Where would he sleep and bathe?

Of course! they said,the lower level is perfect!  He would be able to go directly from the car into the house and avoid steps.  It has a bedroom, a bathroom, a recliner and the all important royal TV with remote control.

But when he returned home from the hospital reality set in for the fairytale couple.  The walker that he required could only fit sideways through the small bathroom door.  The bathtub with a sliding glass door, no grab bar, and no hand-held shower, made bathing incredibly difficult and precarious.  The floors were high gloss ceramic tile with slippery rugs on top, and the toilet was too low for the knee that couldn’t bend.

This made the beautiful wife worry that her husband would fall and pull the shower door down with him, surf across the tile floor on a throw rug or topple over approaching his porcelain throne on a single leg.  The husband’s world shrank; he became dependent on others to bring him everything he needed.

While the wife was busy being nurse, she began noticing areas of the house that could be changed to make life easier for her husband:  Doorways leading into every room should be widened; roll out shelves installed in all the cabinets would let them both retrieve items easier and avoid stress to their knees; a smooth, non-skid floor that was obstacle free would allow him to move the walker easily from room to room.

So many changes needed for one unexpected surgery!  If they had only thought ahead before they bought the house, or made the changes once they moved in.  How much easier recovery would have been on both of them! If only one of them was a certified aging-in-place specialist! But I digress…..

The moral to this story:  Life is full of changes both planned and unexpected, and our environment affects our life.  Think of areas in your home that could be changed to make life easier for someone who lives there or visits there.  Universal design doesn’t apply only to the elderly or the physically challenged.  When you lower a vanity cabinet so your small daughter or granddaughter can wash her own hands, brush her own teeth, and learn independence, that is universal design at work.  And when you add more lights to your kitchen because your eyes aren’t as sharp as they once were, that is universal design.

And, yes, in the end the happy boomer couple lived happily ever after. Their lesson in universal design effectively learned.

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Note from the hosts:  Our first fairy tale and our first article on universal design, we’d like to thank Atlanta-based Randi & Authentic Living Interiors.  She can be found on Twitter @rkdesto. She was tagged for the project by friends @AKRenovations.