It’s an experiment of sorts, a new Edmonton infill project designed to accommodate all stages of life.
“Accessibility is not necessarily just the house, but also the community, as well,” explains Jackson Dam, an Edmonton occupational therapist who’s a partner with JAP Premier Developments.
The company is behind a semi-detached project in King Edward Park on 75 Street and 80 Avenue.
“We have a wet room,” Dam explains. “So this can be converted for use of a shower chair.”
On a recent tour for Global News, Dam showed off some of the accessible features of the home, which includes extra-wide doors for wheelchairs.
“We’re trying to reduce barriers and eliminate red tape.”
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As the city pushes for more infill, the policy behind it continues to evolve. There have been recent changes to allow for more universally accessible garage and garden suites, for example.
“We are now exempting the area or the space that the elevator takes up,” says Colton Kirsop, a senior planner with the city.
But when it comes to a main house in an infill setting, hurdles remain.
“I think the biggest challenge around that home for life concept is getting to the zero-barrier entrance where there’s no step.”
For the King Edward Park project, the nature of the lot made a front ramp unworkable.
“We don’t have enough distance. So when we try and put zero step in the front, it would be too steep,” Dam says.
Instead, a creative approach was taken. The back garage was raised about two feet to level it with the back entrance of the home and a ramp was built from the garage to the home.
“Once the client gets off the vehicle, they can push the wheelchair… into the home with zero step,” Dam explains. “This is a continuous deck that goes into the house.”
As more people age, Dam sees “homes for life”as a way to keep pressure off the health-care system.
“I think it’s a win-win for citizens to stay at home for as long and as safe as possible.”
READ MORE: Wheelchair user says basic human rights are being ignored in N.S.
Watch below: On July 21, 2014, Mayya Assouad filed this report about awheelchair user who said her basic human rights were being ignored in Nova Scotia.