By Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.
 |
| Rosemarie with her husband, Mark (& kitty!) at home |
On June 13,
1998, my husband Mark Leder and I went for a bicycle ride on a rural wooded
bike trail in Granville, OH. After riding for a few minutes, Mark thought he
heard a gunshot and slowed down to investigate.
As he scanned the scene he saw a large tree falling. He shouted, “Stop!”
But the warning was too late. Instantly, I was crushed by a 7,000 pound tree
and paralyzed from the waist down.
Coming home
from the hospital in a wheelchair in July 1998 after my T12-L1, spinal cord
injury, I realized how my home intensified my disability. My husband and I knew that we had to sell our
home and find something more suitable.
Designing and Building the Universal
Design Living Laboratory
My husband
is 6'4" tall while I am 4'1" seated in my wheelchair. Our heights and reaches were factors in the
home design so that we were both accommodated.
In September
of 2004 we hired architect, Patrick Manley to draw the house plans for our new
home. In January 2005 we hired kitchen
and bath designer and internationally renowned universal design specialist Mary
Jo Peterson.
We hired Robert
August in October 2005 to help us with branding, marketing, and contacting international
and national corporations to partner with us by contributing products and
services.
Mark and I
bought an acre and a half lot in December of 2006. We broke ground on September
23, 2009. In addition to being accessible, universal design and green building
construction principles were followed. We
received the highest levels of certification from three universal design
national certification programs.
We acquired
214 contributors and had hundreds of people volunteer to help us. Our home could not have been built without
their support. Mark and I have personally funded the Universal Design Living Laboratory
and served as the general contractors.
On May 18,
2012 we moved into our new home.
Better Health
The first
noticeable improvement when I moved into our new home was the ease in
navigating on the hardwood and tile floors.
My shoulders were no longer strained as they had been on carpeting. I realized that my carpal tunnel syndrome
pain and numbness in my hands was lessened.
With 3,500
square feet in the home and access to the 2,000 square foot landscape paver
area, I have plenty of room to walk with my rolling walker. This gives me the opportunity for more
exercise and weight bearing as I stand.
The frequency of leg spasms is directly related to how often I walk and
stand. As a result, I don't need to take
anti-spasm medicine and get a good night’s sleep. My muscles, bones and joints
benefit from walking and standing.
Independence
As others
plan to remodel or build, they need to build in features that allow the
occupants independence.
My favorite
room is the kitchen. Visitors are most
surprised when they see the side hinged oven in the center island. This island
has three countertop heights: 30 ½ inches, 34 ½ inches, and 40 inches. The countertop by the sink and cooktop is 34
inches from the floor. More than 50
percent of the storage space is accessible from my wheelchair.
The cooktop
and sink have knee space underneath. The
cooktop has three low profile modules consisting of three gas burners and an
in-counter steamer/pasta cooker. Water
in this cooker can be drained by turning a knob, so there's no risk of getting
scalded. Having the deck-mount pot
filler at the cooktop is convenient when filling the steamer and pots. There is a control panel at waist height for
the ventilation fan and light above the cooktop. The dishwasher is raised 16
inches off the floor.
The 4’ X 7’ curbless
entry master shower is built for two. The
adjustable height handheld shower nozzle that I use is on the wall to the left
of my shower seat. This seat is mounted on the wall and is adjustable in
height. The opposite wall has a stationary shower nozzle for Mark. We each have
grab bars for safety. The heated tile floor is sloped allowing water to exit by
way of the channel drain.
Virtual Tour
People can
take a virtual tour of the UDLL, watch videos, read articles, see the list of
contributors, and learn more at www.udll.com
New Book - The Universal Design
Toolkit
I acquired
research skills and a wealth of information that I wanted to share with others.
This resulted in writing the Universal Design Toolkit, a 200 page e-book that
is packaged with four hours of online videos and webinar replays.
The Universal Design Toolkit is new …
unique … and is the only learning program resource of its kind.
More than 10
years of research were distilled into relevant, timely and practical
information. It is the A-to-Z ultimate resource, reference and guide. This
Toolkit includes all the tips, tools, stats and advice on using universal
design elements to remodel or build a home.
There’s
nothing else like it on the market. This comprehensive learning package
includes everything that is needed – including new, hard to find, and
little-known information – as well as guides, checklists, videos, answers,
sources and more – in an easy to access electronic format.
A Sample of What’s Included in the
Universal Design Tookit
Ø Benefits of Having Universal Design
Features in Homes
Ø The Principles of Universal Design
Ø Ten Myths about Universal Design
Ø Glossary of Terms Related to Universal
Design
Ø Important Dimensions for Space
Planning for People Who Use Wheelchairs or Walkers
Ø Sources of Funding to Repair, Modify,
Remodel or Build a New Universal Design Home
Ø How to Find House Plans for Universal
Design Homes
Ø How to Find a Professional Who is
Knowledgeable about Universal Design
Ø Universal Design Checklists, Home
Assessments, and Certification Programs
Ø Estimated Product and Construction
Costs for Universal Design Features
Ø List of Universal Design Features in
the Universal Design Living Laboratory
Ø Links to Universal Design Resources
SPECIAL
LIMITED TIME LAUNCH PRICE 50% DISCOUNT … just $97! Go to www.udll.com/mobilewomen
About the Author: Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. is an
internationally known speaker, consultant, and author of the Universal Design
Toolkit. To contact Rosemarie and learn about her speaking services, go to: www.RosemarieSpeaks.com To learn more about her national
demonstration universal design home, the Universal Design Living Laboratory, go
to: www.UDLL.com
Copyright by Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. 2017
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