Independence EXPO – great fun!
Home Free Home’s booth at the second annual Independence Expo at Suffolk Community College’s Brentwood, NY campus on Friday and Saturday June 25-26, was frequently visited and well received by those who stopped by. About 2000 people attended . Volunteers staffing the table educated visitors about HFH’s mission, distributed brochures and applications to individuals or families in need of architectural design services, and attracted the interest of several potential volunteers for upcoming events. A special thank you to United Spinal Association for sponsoring our booth again this year. Also, thanks to the volunteers who helped us spread the word about Home Free Home: Laura Montllor, AIA, Mark Wittenberg, AIA, Patti Locurcio, Jerry Cicciari,AIA and the Ladau Family (Ellen, Marc & Emily).
See EXPO pictures here -
http://www.unitedspinal.org/2010/07/01/discovering-new-paths-toward-independence/
On Saturday Architect, Laura Montllor, AIA gave a workshop called ” Making Your Home Your Castle”, explaining the principals of Universal Design and showing design strategies for creating accessible home renovation projects. Workshop attendees received checklists for evaluating their homes and got practical design guidelines.
We hope to make the Independence Expo an annual event as it is an excellent forum to learn about resources available to the aging and/or disabled community and, of course, to meet people most in need of HomeFree Home’s guidance and design expertise.
A KITCHEN FOR EMILY
Smart and charming, Emily Ladau is 19 years old and a Dean’s List honor student at Adelphi University. She also has Larsen’s Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects all of her bones and joints. Emily has endured numerous surgeries but still needs to use a wheelchair everyday .
Emily’s mother, Ellen, is 49 and has the same disorder and she too has had many surgical procedures. She uses a walker or power wheelchair depending on whether she is wearing her leg brace or the distances needed to be traveled. Ellen, her husband Marc, and Emily have lived in a two bedroom 1950’s ranch style house on Long Island since 1996. Over the years they have added a ramp and an accessible bathroom, with the generous help of their family.
The old original kitchen is still a source of daily frustration for them. There are many high and low areas that can’t be accessed.
Carrying pots and pans to and from the stove is difficult because their hands are either on walker handles or their wheelchairs. Many kitchen tasks just have to be postponed until Marc is home from work. Since Emily is quite petite she can not reach the sink or countertop and can not prepare even the simplest of meals for herself.
Architect, Mark Wittenberg has designed a new “ mother – daughter “ kitchen for them. It includes two prep areas one with a counters slightly lower than regular height with a open spaces under the sink and the cook top, On the other side of the kitchen is a space for Emily. It has countertop that is shallow ( 20”) and low ( 30”) . It has a small sink with an single lever faucet. A side by side refrigerator will allow Emily to reach the freezer. Other details include: pull out drawers for pots, easy to reach outlets and light switches and an under counter microwave.
Volunteer Architect Mark Wittenberg and the Ladau family
The Ladau family is thrilled with the design and Emily says ” I can’t wait to cook my own full course meal.” And Ellen is looking forward to more independence in her kitchen and teaching her daughter the skills she will need to live a more independent life. “We are so grateful to have found Home Free Home and know that with their guidance we will finally get a functional kitchen.”
GET HELP with UNIVERSAL HOME DESIGN
Does your house have barriers like hazardous steps at the front entry, narrow doors, tight hallways and small dangerous bathrooms? Do you need to install a ramp or remodel your bathroom or kitchen to make your home accessible and safe?
If you answered yes to these questions, HomeFreeHome may be able to help. This organization is a group of volunteer architects who design barrier-free home renovations that allow people to live with greater safety and freedom. We connect people with disabilities to local volunteer architects to create designs for small scale construction projects such as: ramps, accessible bathrooms and kitchens.
HomeFreeHome is an all-volunteer organization and membership is free. For more information and to become a member or receive help, fill out the application form or call 516.883.0403. HomeFreeHome is a growing organization where donations and volunteers of all types and skills are needed. Together we can make a big difference and bring more independence to many people, so please get involved today. Read More