November 2007 Communiqué
The
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies project on Understanding the Status of
Visitability in Canada (funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
and the Manitoba Government Department of Families Services and Housing) has
come to a close. The final report has been submitted and it is imperative that
we don’t allow it to sit on a shelf, collecting dust. CCDS and all Think Tank
participants and those interested in promoting visitable housing must maintain
the connections we have made, and take action to move visitability to the next
level. We would like to thank all of you
for the support, dedication and leadership you have shown throughout the
project and hope you continue to be an active member of the Visitability Canada
Network. We want to hear from you as to your progress with your Visitable
housing initiatives in your areas.
We plan to send
out a communiqué once every two months to keep you posted on our progress. To stay connected, please continue to update
and send information on your projects to Laura Rempel at research3@disabilitystudies.ca,
and we will begin posted them on www.visitablehousingcanada.com. We are in the process of developing an online
forum so you can post your initiatives and updates yourself. We will inform you
when this feature is up and running.
Please
find the research summary attached to this email.
The Canadian Centre on
Disability Studies will work in partnership with advisory committees from
Manitoba, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and nationally to identify needs, gaps
and good practice models of caregiving/ supports, transportation and housing
for people with long-term disabilities who are aging. The project is funded by
the Office for Disability Issues, Human Resources and Social Development
Canada.
The
Project Team and Advisory Committees have been hard at work developing an
environmental scan, annotated bibliography, website, and online survey. We have
just completed the first two roundtable discussions with the advisory
committees, consumers and service providers in Manitoba and Nova Scotia with
plans for British Columbia in January 2008. Interviews with key stakeholders
from both the aging and disability sectors will begin in November 2007. Due to
the housing component of the research, visitable housing is still a priority
area for CCDS and examines the larger community and what elements are needed to
support aging in place. If you would like any additional information please
contact the Project Coordinator, Laura Rempel at research3@disabilitystudies.ca
CCDS has received a $10,000 grant
from the Winnipeg Foundation– we will be looking at different neighbourhoods in
Winnipeg, survey the neighbourhoods on how visitable they are. This is in the
development stages with Larry Hurtig and Harry Paine from the Manitoba Advisory
Committee for the Aging with Disabilities Project.
We
request that you share information on any new initiatives you have learned
about or been a part of since the Think Tank in May. For now you can send it to
CCDS or we suggest testing out a new website tool we will soon be utilizing. We
are in the development process of a web forum for the visitability website and
we will let you know when that is up and running. The web forums will allow for
continued sharing of information and networking even if there is no project
funding.
Here
are some of the articles, events and initiatives we have discovered since the
end of the project.
·
Visitable Housing: Cost Estimate Summary - June 2007
This report was prepared at the request of Manitoba
Housing and Renewal Corporation (MHRC) and conducted by Progressive
Accessibility Re-Form Associates (PARA), Hilderman Thomas Frank and Cram Landscape
Architecture and Planning (HTFC), and Lanny L.M Silver, Architect.
The report
summarizes the findings related to the cost and market implications of
incorporating basic visitable features into two, single-family detached
houses in Manitoba. The cost analysis is of a case study in Waverly West, a new
development in Winnipeg based on two specific model homes (provided by a local
home builder) and sites. The case studies look at different solutions
determined by site drainage, earthwork, foundation, bathroom design, pathway,
decks and changes needed to be made to the house plans to ensure visitability.
The estimated costs of these changes ranged from $3095 to $8703. Caution should be exercised in generalizing
the results, as each case is very site specific.
For more
information, MHRC has made the report available on our
website. www.visitablehousingcanada.com
·
Flora Place- Winnipeg - Sept
8, 2007
28 new affordable and visitable townhouse apartments were developed in a $3.5-million housing project geared to seniors and people with disabilities. The Province of Manitoba and feds contributed $2.2 million toward the project, with the city adding $600,000. Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation, a non-profit agency that owns and manages the development, funded the rest of the project.
British
Columbia
·
Measuring Up The North Project
Is a project in Northern
British Columbia is a partnership between the North Central Municipal
Association and the BC Paraplegic Association with supporting partners 2010
Legacies Now and the BC Healthy Communities Initiative. The goal of the project
is to assist 41 communities and regional districts to develop livable,
senior-friendly, disability-friendly, universally designed communities. The
project will address both accessibility and inclusion and will use the
“Measuring Up” tool created by 2010 Legacies Now Society as well as other
relevant tools. With strong support through Northern BC, the project will
assist communities through locally controlled initiatives potentially increase
participation of seniors and people with disabilities, employment rates,
tourism opportunities, economic development, sustainability, retirement living
and cooperative ventures. The intent is to build better communities for all
citizens. The project will engage local governments, disability and seniors
organizations, businesses, and citizens in active dialogue, assessment and
planning for their community. Visitability will be a major project goal. The project is funded by the
Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Nechako Kitamaat Development Fund and United
Way Prince George. For more information, contact Laurie Ringaert, Project
Director at: 250-563-6942 or at measurenorth@bcpara.org.
·
A home builder (Harmony Homes in Windsor) has made a commitment to
universal designed housing in Nova Scotia. The link to more information is in
the article link provided below. http://easternviews.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-place-like-home.html
For more information contact Ralph Ferguson.
·
A Designing for Inclusion Symposium, was held October 20, 2007 in
Halifax hosted by Dalhousie University, School of Occupational Therapy and
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
·
Three new Visitability ordinances have been passed
in:
1) La Fayette, Colorado (September
2007) - access required in 25% of all new houses, whether privately
funded or using some public money
2) Tucson, Arizona (October 2007)– where
EVERY new house is to be visitable
3) Birmingham Alabama – has just passed an
ordinance, as it is very recent decision more information will be available in
the future.
·
AARP (American
Association of Retired Persons) has commissioned a 30-page Issue Paper
on Visitability which Jordana Maisel of the State University of New York at
Buffalo, and Eleanor Smith of Concrete Change are authoring.
·
Olga Krassioukova-Enns and Laurie Ringaert are
participating in a conference entitled “Visitability Think Tank Atlanta “ in
Atlanta Georgia on November 9-10 2007.
·
Age Friendly Cities Guide was launched by the World Health Organization
October 1, 2007. The Canadian Reports
for Saanich, British Columbia, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and Halifax, Nova
Scotia are now available online. Please follow the link if you would like to
download the guide or read the press release. www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr53/en/index.html
CCDS has made visitable housing a
priority and committed ourselves to maintaining the network, website and
hosting a follow-up Think Tank event. We have been actively seeking funding for
the event and are in the preliminary planning stages. The proposed date is
March 4-5 2008, in Winnipeg. Followed by a conference based on our current
Aging with a Long Term Disability research project (proposed date March 6-7,
2008).
CCDS is in the process of
developing a web forum for our visitable housing website. We will keep you
posted as to when it is up and running. This will be an opportunity to continue
sharing information and networking to move the visitability agenda forward.
1.
CCDS has submitted a proposal to Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC) for their 2008 External Research Program.
2.
CCDS will continue to submit to other funders.
· Promoting Basic Accessibility in the Home: Analyzing Patterns in the Diffusion of Visitability Legislation. By Christy M. Nishita, Phoebe S. Liebig, Jon Pynoos, Lena Perelman, and Katie Spegal. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. Vol. 18, no.1 2007 pp. 2-13
Abstract:
Visitability legislation, which requires minimum accessibility in single-family homes, is an unprecedented advancement in disability policy that began with the passage of an Atlanta ordinance in 1992 and has spread to other jurisdictions. Based on the diffusion of innovation model (Gray, 1973), our study used interviews, news articles, and analyses of legislation to examine the spread of the visitability concept, the patterns of diffusion, the opposition’s main concerns, and the mechanisms by which advocates overcame opposition and facilitated passage. Results indicated that a policy entrepreneur (Kingdon, 1995) was largely responsible for the consequent spread of visitability across cities and states in a horizontal pattern of diffusion. Opponents from the building industry were largely concerned about added cost, which forced advocates to employ education and negotiation tactics. Despite considerable controversy, proponents’ success provides other advocates with lessons on how to ensure a more widespread impact on U.S. housing stock.
·
Free 6-page: Visitability Handout Simple, Clear, Illustrated:
downloadable at http://www.assistutah.org/access-visitablity/visitability.htm
· Free PowerPoint presentation on Visitability and Entrances: visit http://www.concretechange.org/
Thank you for all your efforts with Visitable Housing. Please share your updates with us! Don’t forget to visit: www.visitablehousingcanada.com for updates!
Contact
Information:
Laurie Ringaert: Project Co-Leader: lringaert@bcpara.org.
Olga Krassioukova-Enns: Project Co-Leader: executivedirector@disabilitystudies.ca
Eleanor Smith: Senior Advisor: eleanors@mindspring.com
Laura Rempel: Project Assistant: research3@disabilitystudies.ca