♿️10 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A HOUSE AS A WHEELCHAIR USER

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Hi everyone its so good to be back, I have got that spark back, and can’t wait to make more videos for you. (Ill take my glasses off next time lol) SUBSCRIBE :bit.ly/2zSEo1R Here are some useful terms to google regarding housing. Disability Horizons;Accessible housing: download your FREE guide to finding an accessible home NHS housing Financial help if your disabled .gov VIDEOS TO CHECK OUT NEXY Accessible house tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZWlcmaYgddpmbM Wheelchair accessible garden transformation kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnTYomaDrKt9mNU Wheelchair accessibility in IKEA kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIPFpKyslNmFh5o Wheelchair accessible closet tour kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJrGhqJuoZVmfJI

[@silkedavid8876]

I had a friend who works for a housing association. They used to dismantle accessible adjustments if the person moved out, even if it was such little adjustments like handrails outside the door. He always mentioned how they wasted money on works. Now it has changed, and for example if the house has been fitted with a wet room they advertise that and preference given to people who need one.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Im glad to hear they changed their way of thinking

[@ixykix]

We are in a housing association property, an adapted bungalow we were told, before we saw it. It wasn’t, well not entirely. a few rails had been left but the kitchen was not accessible at all and the hallway so narrow you pretty much scrape your fingers on the wall as you wheel past. It wasn’t easy having a newborn in this house, but we’re much better armed with information this time around.

[@mr-huggy]

My general grumble is it doesn't cost anything to make a new house accessible. Designing so there's no steps, make the doors and corridors a bit wider, making the bathrooms bigger so they can be more easier to convert, etc etc.

[@ChrisPage68]

You have to factor in cost of materials and labour.

[@ecologist_to_be]

@@ChrisPage68 Building companies just care about making massive profits rather than building homes that cater for everyone.

[@ChrisPage68]

@@ecologist_to_be Not my brother's.

[@owen9510]

Thank you for always talking about the real and crucial issues affecting the specific needs of wheelchair users who also want to have a normal lifestyle.

[@ecologist_to_be]

My house is partially accessible. Sometimes you just have to make do as no where else to go that's for sure. 😂

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Yes, sometimes you do. Accessible places are like gold dust.

[@discoverwithdallas]

Great video! We actually moved to a ranch style home so that it is wheelchair accessible. Stairs are no fun for wheelchairs 💚💚 it is hard to find an accessible house 🏡

[@Wheelsnoheels]

That sounds lovely.

[@SnowySpiritRuby]

Would a ranch style be the American equivalent of a bungalow? In all my searching online for the various times I've moved, I never once saw anything listed as "bungalow", so I wasn't sure if that was a UK/European/non-American term, or a universal term that I just hadn't ever heard used before. "Hard to find an accessible house" - AMEN to that! The last time I had to move, I spent a good 8 or 10 hours straight looking online the day that I was told I was going to have to move, and nothing even came close to what I was looking for - the only accessible options were either way out on the far edge of town (basically out on the highway, on the opposite end of town from all the shops, at the very top of a very long hill) or age-restricted (I'm way too young to qualify). Thankfully, a good friend of mine knew someone who was looking to rent out a small house/apartment that he had built for his elderly parents (his mother had since passed and they had just moved his dad into a nursing home), and when I took my long list of requirements with me to look at the house, it ended up checking all but 2 of them, and those 2 I could get by without if I needed to. It was also just 3 houses away from 2 of my best friends (before, I had been 2 1/2 blocks away and it felt like I was out on the edge of all the goings on). I got my first custom chair 2 weeks after I moved in, and the house was/is almost perfect - it had been designed to be about 90-95% ADA compliant (I know that at least some of the time, his parents had people coming over to help them, so it didn't necessarily need to be 100%), and, for the most part, the few things that aren't haven't really been much of a problem for me as an ambulatory wheelchair user (I can walk unassisted). There are a few things that I'm going to ask about changing/switching out, though, because there was a stretch early last year where I was pretty much unable to stand/walk at all, and that last 5-10% of inaccessibility made doing some things (that normally I could do just fine but I have to stand/walk to do them if I'm going to avoid messing up my shoulders) at home really difficult during that time. The one thing that probably won't be able to be changed at all is the height of the kitchen counters - I think they're something like 40" or 41", which even for me when standing is really tall because I'm really short, and all the more so when I'm in my chair - but changing the height, while probably very easy for all the lower cupboards because they're all on the same 5"-6" legs, would entail either replacing the dishwasher with a significantly shorter one, or else taking it out altogether (which I'm guessing the owner probably wouldn't want to do), as well as redoing some of the drain pipe under the kitchen sink. So I'm going to start with the little/easy things - like putting a handle on the outside of the front door but on the hinge side (as opposed to the knob side), so that I can close the door from my chair without risking smashing my hand between the door and doorframe (because of the way my door is, I have to open it all the way in order to get out in my chair, which means that to close it, I have to stick my hand in the crack and push it shut hard enough and far enough that I can reach the knob, but take my hand out in time that it doesn't get smashed), something my dad can probably help me do (I got the idea from Roll with Cole and Charisma, the accessible house tour of their current house) - and go from there.

[@stephaniemcquillan6167]

I live with my parents and would love to live in my own place. You were very lucky to find a house with adaptions already in place

[@helencolgan8580]

Great to see you back. I become a wheelchair user last August after having an above knee amputation and have spent months waiting for a wheelchair friendly flat or bungalow to become available. With my local authority I was matched with flats with entrance steps or on steep hills! I have just been allocated a little bungalow (and I do mean little). Doorways are very tight and I'm just waiting for a few jobs to be done before I move in, removing internal doors/adding rails in the bathroom. I've learnt that flats/bungalows are not always suitable for wheelchairs.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Im glad you have founds somewhere safe.

[@ixykix]

Our current bungalow was not completely accessible, can only barely get my wheelchair down the hallway. Have made some adaptations with permission from housing association.

[@helencolgan8580]

Well, after moving into my little bungalow back in July the wheelchair ramp was only completed last month. I complained as I was getting wedged in the doorframe when trying to enter with my electric wheelchair! I'm still waiting for an O/T assessment for possible improvements/grants. I have lots of ideas for improvements but it all comes down to money! I've had 3x internal doors removed but still getting caught in the doorframes! At the moment a shower curtain is my bathroom door. I'm making the best of a bad situation, that's all I can do at the moment but will be looking to move into something more suitable if possible. The positives are the location (on the flat, not far from shops) and my neighbours!

[@kimwilding8444]

This was the most timely and useful video that's ever popped up on my timeline. Thank you so much this it genuinely almost made me cry xx

[@xErinxx]

I’ve been looking for rentals and keep getting excited seeing wheelchair ramps only to find out the place is in a +55 community

[@therollingbutterfly2765]

I use a wheelchair and live in NYC ! Accessibility is limited here ! I am looking to buy a home (house or condo ) this was extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@tomlee252]

I love the English slang, the ADA Act while a plus, still has a long ways to make literally everywhere more disabled user friendly, able bodied people need to more considerate and conscious about there fellow disabled

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Yes there is a lot of missconceptions around people with disabilities. People need a little more understadning for sure. x

[@SnowySpiritRuby]

@@morgancalvi6675 It actually is enforced - my friend did his master's in architecture, and he was telling me all the different things they learned that they have to do to make sure that buildings will be both up to regular code as well as properly ADA compliant (including them having to navigate various areas in a wheelchair to see what it will actually be like, which I was super happy to hear). I don't know what the rules are for buildings that were built before the ADA was made law, but I do know that older buildings that aren't ADA compliant yet, if they're getting renovated, have to be ADA compliant after being renovated, at least in some areas. Homeowners aren't subject to the same standards as business owners, which is why, at least in the U.S. (or parts of the U.S.) there's no law saying that every single house built since the ADA was put into law has to be accessible; not sure what kind of standards places like senior living communities (e.g. 55+ communities) are subject to, but private homeowners, while they still have certain building codes they have to abide by when building/renovating, have much more freedom when it comes to designing and building a house than a typical business owner.

[@ChelleOnWheels]

I had to put a ramp on my rented house. It cost me $1,000 because I only had to pay for materials. Friends donated the labor or it would have been much more! It SOOO expensive to be disabled!

[@KissesFromCanada]

You’ve made me appreciate the home I have, a little bit more. I love your upbeat attitude. Cheers from BC Canada

[@kadindefranza2478]

I live in a manufactured home (double side trailer home) that is all open. The last owner had a ramp made on the front of the house connected to the deck, so that saved us some money. But with 3 kids, me, my husband, 2 large dogs, and a cat it can be very cluttered at times. The thing I do love is our bathroom has handrails in the massive walk in shower and a built in bench. We do have a lip on the front door, but we are figuring it out. Our neighborhood is awesome as well, 10mph speed limit, and mostly flat. I have a driveway that was freshly tared right before the last owner passed away too.

[@ChrisPage68]

I grew up in a Council House (UK viewers know what I mean) that was too small for a wheelchair. Luckily, we had a downstairs toilet. We had a stairlift donated to us by charity. I've lived in this Housing Association flat for 32 years. Over the years, I've had the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and front door adapted through Disabled Facilities Grants. Sadly, I don't have a garden. I would love a bungalow, as I have no space for a hobbies room. I also can't have guests over. If I could afford it, I would pay my brother to build me an accessible home of my own - but I know that's an impossible dream.

[@johnjkizer6399]

Great informative video, I love your energetic and positive attitude, keep up the amazing job. God Bless all

[@ilovebrean]

Hi nice to see you back

[@chadbivona3572]

Happy to see u back!

[@Manufalket]

Hello friend, super like 😀👍

[@tinachambers4887]

Hi Gem happy to see your smiling face great information have a day love from TEXAS

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Ahhh thank you

[@lauralie9658]

I have been missing your vlogs. So great your back.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Awww thats nice to hear. Hopfully I can get out and about and do some fun things soon x

[@FawadZakai]

I'm on the verge of constructing a four story levels duplex house 5,650 square feet. The first two levels be wheelchair accessible. I'll be posting the progress on my website...

[@JustWheelMe]

I just moved into an accessible bungalow. Finally it took a really long time, but after I fell down the stairs dislocated my ankle and tore the ligaments the council found us a place within a month. They kept telling me as I could "take a few steps" I was properly housed in a split level flat, They took that as I can do stairs 🤦‍♀️ which I absolutely can't I'm not in a wheelchair for fun I miss ice-skating and walks on the beach the sand in my toes 😭 nobody likes crawling or being carried to the toilet But yes I tried to be Billy big balls and use my sticks on the stairs but I completely stacked it 🤦‍♀️ but now I'm in a bungalow which is level acsess wide doors too it's wonderful it really is I feel so at ease living here now and no more crawling and falling 😂 Missed you gem ❤️

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Hi Gemma thanks for sharing. So happy to hear you can now live comfortable without all that worry. xx

[@JustWheelMe]

@@Wheelsnoheels it's definitely lifted a weight off as I have two small kids. I use to dread falling down and getting hurt when it was just me and them or falling on them 🤦‍♀️ they also have a tendency to climb in my back and jump on me if I'm on the floor too so it's definitely much better this way I don't have to get out my chair for anything. They been known to steal my chair too 😂😂😂

[@J.B0079]

Im 42 and was born with Spina Bifida. I also have other health conditions which have developed over the years. When I lived with my parents, we had stairs with an extra bannister for me. When I moved out in 2016, I moved into a first floor flat. Again with stair access. However, my condition has considerably worsened since. So last year in January, I moved into a bungalow. Not only has it made things considerably easier, but my family are now very close by, just incase I was to need any help. I also have a Careline Alarm system installed, so I can call for help if I have a fall. They will then call an ambulance or my mum (depending on the situation at the time). The bathroom was already adapted into a wet room. The back garden is very spacious. And there is an alcove area by the back door (which is sheltered by a roof) where I park my mobility scooter. So all in all, I'm very lucky and blessed to be where I am now

[@Wheelsnoheels]

That is so good to hear. I dont have an alarm, as im not on my own. But i feel maybe one day I will x

[@p.a.7075]

Love your videos! I don't need a wheelchair. Primarily, I use a cane and if I'm in a flare-up a walker. In an informal survey based solely upon my experiences, people will hold the door for me when I have my cane, but let it swing shut as I have both hands on the walker! What??? Request, if I may. I am hearing-impaired. It would help me GREATLY, if you turned off the music as you speak. Otherwise, it is very challenging to hear what you are saying. THANKS!!

[@nealeburgess6756]

Hi Gem, welcome back. So you haven't retired after all! Don't take your glasses off. Just lose the ring light. Having a good light source from higher up or from both sides at the front will minimise reflections on your glasses. Your large bay window might be good as a light source if you face towards it. Your gold rimmed specs really suit you. I like your advice about planning for the future when buying a house. I have a nice 2 bedroom semi detached bungalow on the Costa Del Sol if anyone wants to buy it. Would be easy to modify for wheelchair use. So disabled friends, you might be able to live in the sun. Another alternative here in Spain is an apartment. Many modern buildings have garage parking with lifts up to tha apartments. All very accessable.

[@ecologist_to_be]

Last time I went to Spain it was endless stairs.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Ahhhh I love spain.

[@eduardopadilla5505]

That lot of people with disability living in conventional houses in your country?! Incredible!!

[@willemh3319]

because the social disability act we were granted money to adjust the house while rebuilding and extending the groundfloor they came with a 10 page checklist so everything is wheelchair accesable even the gardens front and back with slopinng entrances to the doors extra wide bathroom fully wheelchair turning spcece everywhere you have to take control of it yoursrlf too

[@Wheelsnoheels]

That sounds fantastic.

[@Dungeonfreak]

My flat is housing association so I didn’t have much choice it’s on the second floor up two flights of stairs, my mobility was better when I moved in 6 or so years ago but the stairs are a struggle now

[@BrainSqueezeYT]

Great video! I've been house hunting and it's extra hard because I haven't received my wheelchair yet. 7 months and counting... I can't test out turns into rooms, bathrooms, and the kitchen. I am currently ambulatory, but don't know how much mobility I'm going to keep losing, so we are trying to find primary bedroom on the first floor or a ranch (aka bungalow). I'm curious how you get your wheelchair up the stairs or do you have an older one to use up there?

[@melaniebutson7933]

There isn't a shortage of houses in this country but there is a shortage of accessible homes for all ages, which in turn could free up other houses

[@johnwatson1082]

I just bought a house that was renovated for me a week ago but I had to have a lift installed because of my electric wheelchair I couldn’t afford another one plus Any tips on going out as I changed from a manual to an electric last week as my condition got worse

[@RoadkillbunnyUK]

I live in a new build three story house on top of a steep valley and the shops/bus stops are at the bottom . It is housing association and I didn’t have a lot of choice when I moved in five years ago. At that time I was still mobile so was fine, I could still drive so it was fine. Not so much anymore. I had a huge deterioration over the last three years, quicker and more disabling than expected. I’m now a wheelchair user who is only just ambulatory. I was stuck downstairs sleeping on the sofa because I couldn’t get to the master suite on the top floor and I was too stubborn to ask for proper help. I have also had to relinquish my driving licence as I am now vision impaired. Now to the good, I finally got my head from my ass and had honest conversations with my physio and OT. My daughter and I switched bedrooms so now I only have one set of stairs to worry about and we got to adapting, won’t list everything because their is a lot but will tell you that due to my situation of being both medically retired in my early 40s and living in the UK with the NHS I have had to pay very little, I could probably have got the things I have paid for from the NHS but I decided I wanted them rather then going through the OT! The biggest thing and the thing that has made such a massive difference in many ways is my lovely stair lift 😁. It wasn’t cheep but I was able to get the entire 6k+ price tag through a disabled amenity grant from my local council (not sure that’s the right words but Gem did say what it is in her vid) and once the 1 year warranty from stannah runs out my housing association has agreed to take on repair and maintenance responsibility. It a god send.

[@ecologist_to_be]

Disabled Facilities Grant. Depends with NHS and council I've paid for 95% of my disability items because NHS and council don't see them as necessary and tell you to use PIP to fund them!

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Im Glad you got some solutions. :)

[@RoadkillbunnyUK]

@@ecologist_to_be That sucks I’m really sorry you have had to face that! It must really depend on your county council and your NHS trust. My OT comes from my council’s adult social services team and what he says seems to be the last word although the supplier (apart from stair lift) is the same as from the NHS direct so I don’t know who’s budget it comes from (and we aren’t talking wheelchair here they are a different kettle of fish!). I also know I have one of the best housing associations as only one other in area will take on stair lift responsibility. (I won’t say which one as that would really narrow down my location to the street where I live due to a few quirks!) It seems I have more thanks to Vale of the White Horse County council that I quite realised, and to my awesome OT. I have never been told I must use my PIP for adaptive equipment thankfully as I use it mainly to pay for awesome cleaner/carer who refuses to let me pay for anything other than her base cleaning wage that we started on! I also use my PIP to pay for the taxis and the like that I need to go anywhere. There really isn’t much PIP that doesn’t already go to ‘disability tax’. It seems that Oxfordshire as a whole is one of the better places to live if disabled... humm I wonder if there is a ranking list of sorts on that topic!

[@crystalgoodall9164]

Good tips !

[@Wheelsnoheels]

thank you

[@TeoOktoberfest]

Respect 👌 💪 💪

[@caroljohnson3698]

Things i had not thought of were The water shutoff and electrical panels.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

That was thanks to some amazing follower sharing their experiences. ;)

[@rachaelamber22]

New builds have to be accessible now. All new builds after 2017 (I think) have to have a ramp either in the front door or back door. The doorways need to be wheelchair accessible too

[@Wheelsnoheels]

Oh really? Thats good to know. thank you

[@t4N9410oR]

6:32 Stairs. If you're ambulatory, something as simple as a broken wrist can transform stairs into an impenetrable, unsafe, access, inside and/or outside your place. In my case, when dealing with stairs, I have my walking stick in my right hand, and hold the railing/bannister with the left. A broken wrist on either side would render stairs inacessible. This was why I was forced to move from a stairs only block of flats (ground floor was laundries and garages, the top two foors were flats, and my flat was on the top floor), to a ground floor flat. 6:51 the spiral staircase. Inaccessible _and unsafe_ by design. No railing/bannister around the outer curve. The bottom most step has no vertical support pole. Due to the design, there's no central railing/bannister. 10:11 Parking Check that the driveway for the block, the driveway to your garage, _and_ the garage itself are all flat and level. If not, can you manage the inclines? At my block of flats, the driveway for the block, the driveway to the garages, _and_ the garage itself are all an uphil slope, with camber in some parts. Great for a wheelchair workout, but not fun for easy access. If you have a lock up garage at your block of flats, is the garage wide enough for you to get into/out of, a vehicle in the garage? Summary. New 2 storey builds and 2 storey renovations, emergency access. Plan an external, secure, ramp access between the ground and the upper floor, into the build design.

[@jprz13]

Where have you been?

[@Wheelsnoheels]

I lost my youtube mojo. But I'm baaaaaaak

[@ChrisPage68]

@@Wheelsnoheels Good! 😋 ❤️

[@AndiPandiBee]

We've just been offered a council house/flat which is a new build they claim is wheelchair accessible... I mean the halls are massive. The bathroom is a wet room... But the kitchen is full height. The bedroom is too narrow for me to use half of it. And there's a step out the backdoor... And as it's a new build we can't make any adaptions for a year. I'm struggling with if we take it and make do. (It's a massive improvement given I can't use my chair in my house at all). Or do we wait for the council to offer us something else... We just don't know if and when we could get a better option.

[@Wheelsnoheels]

oooooo if they have offered you a property that sounds awesome. I've heard some people waiting up to 10 years for a property. However I can't advise you on what you should do. I'v left some useful terms to google, and you might be able to get a disabled persons facilities grant?

[@AndiPandiBee]

@@Wheelsnoheels yeah we got lucky we applied at the start of the year and our OT put us forward for these buildings. She's also concerned for some drawbacks so she's coming with us to the viewing, were definitely taking a measuring tape. I think the funding would help once we're able to make adaptions to the new place. I don't want to leave our current place but I'm tired of spending too many hours stuck on the floor after a fall. And my husband is really starting to worry about serious injuries. I want this to be our only move for a long time if possible, if/when I lose my legs completely I don't want to have to stay in a hospital or rehab facility because the house isn't suitable, which would be my current solution until we have a better place.

[@debbiemurphy9794]

@@AndiPandiBee i am in same as u i have crawl upstairs can't get out garden or use my feet supporteds round house x

[@ecologist_to_be]

Before moving make sure you're entitled to a disabled facilties grant. If you're working for example you are often not entitled however if you're on benefits you'll be entitled to full amount of the grant. They should have adapted kitchen but finding a perfect property is really difficult. 😭 Ridiculous how they build them half done would save em money to adapt as they build!

[@AndiPandiBee]

@@ecologist_to_be unfortunately they can't adapt anything for atleast s year because it's a new build. As far as OT is concerned we'll be entitled to help, we've had all our previous adaptions for very limited cost in this house.

[@debbiemurphy9794]

Im not in suitable accomadation but i need bungalow but there is nob3 bed bungalows for rent so im stuck

[@Wheelsnoheels]

The are like gold dust

[@tetchedistress]

❤

[@Ndotra]

I’m sorry, but the music is too loud.

[@jesuschristfollower6251]

God bless you and may Jesus Christ be with you

[@allenmorgan6847]

Hey Gem would you like to meet blind You Tube influencer Molly Burke?