Ken:
I actually found him several times, several ways.
When I moved into my present home (about '97 or so)I
asked around & was given the name of a contractor who
claimed to do accessibility work: Rick Lair dba
Challenge Specialties. We met him, were impressed but
just decided to hold off on getting the work done.
Then after I retired I started participating in the
Mayor's Committee on PWD. He was a participant, & we
renewed acquaintanceship. By then he had gotten out
of the contracting business. He was a
state-registered accessibility inspector, inspecting &
approving (or frequently disapproving) physical
accessibility features required under the Texas
version of the ADA.
{What was your original question......?}
We interacted occasionally, mostly me using him as my
resource, checking to be sure I was right before I'd
goad the city on an inadequate curb cut or something.
I knew he sold ramps, etc. (Yes, his website is
http://www.rampman.com) When the City told me I was
going to sell this house to them, I determined that
under Federal law they had to assure that my
replacement home was accessible to me. They agreed to
my hiring him as a consultant, to evaluate the new
house & write a report on what would be needed. Best
money I could have spent, & I'd have paid for it
myself if they'd refused! Rick not only saw what I
needed now, as a crutch & part-time wheelchair user,
but what I would probably need as I got even older.
The City accepted his report & agreed to 99% of his
recommendations.
I'm hiring him to do several inspections during the
course of the modifications, even tho I'm impressed
with the contractor - hiring a knowledgeable inspector
is cheap insurance.
http://www.rampman.com/
BOB
--------------------------------------
On Fri, 9 July 2004 Ken Barber replied:
Bob,
How did you find your consultant, and does he have a
web site?
Kendall
An unreasonable man (but my wife says that that's
redundant!)
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
-----Original Message-----
From: c p [mailto:[log in to unmask]]=20
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2004 7:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [C-PALSY] Automatic Door Openers
Ken:
The contractor is working on modifications now, & we
hope to start moving next month.
(To recap, because of an ecological restoration/flood
control project, we were forced to sell our home to
the City. The good side is that, by Federal law,
they are required to replace it with a house
accessible to the owner. I hired an ADA consultant
who, fortunately for me, was far-seeing; he wrote an
evaluation to not only cover me as a crutch user but
as a future wheelchairer. We found a 15-year-old
house that the consultant thought would work. I
presented the house, the report, & contractor bids to
the City & they agreed.)
The door opener (& closer - very important!)is an
"Open Sesame" system IV, runs about $1650 +
installation, with a wireless remote. Combined with
an X-10 (SmartHome) "DOORBELL FON DOOR ANSWERING
SYSTEM" ($155-225 + inst. - & I'm paying for that toy)
should enable me to answer the doorbell on my phone,
talk to the visitor, & open the door to let them in -
all from my study or anywhere else in the house.
Add a wireless camera with the receiver plugged in to
the AUX port of my TV, & I can look the visitor over
also.
OK, so that's my toy. But modifications will include
a roll-in shower, wall-hanger ('handicap') sink,
reinforced hooks in the bedroom ceiling (hey, I can
imagine....), ramped sidewalk & patio, wheelchair
thresholds on exterior doors, of course wider interior
doors, kitchen faucet controls beside the sink, & a
bunch of little things like light switch extenders
(too costly to lower switches, repaint, etc.), remote
control thermostat, & a wireless transmitter in the
curbside mailbox to signal me when the door is opened.
My advice: plan ahead, read articles, save catalogs &
clippings, & plan some more. Even tho I've been
thinking about this for a year, I still see things I
missed.
And when you take bids, make contractors either
specify the model # they're going to use (e.g. Crane
#nnnn toilet) or the dollar allowance (e.g. $2 @ for
bathroom tile).
I'm no expert, but I'm learning from experience -and
lucky to have a sharp consultant & an innovative
contractor, so ask if you have questions.
BOB
_______________________________________
On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 Ken Barber replied:
I AM READING THIS THREAD closely, i had not thought
of this. in retirement(when we leave atlanta) judy and
i will need to build or modify to be assessable.
there are probably other things that i need to know to
put them in, before the need becomes painfully obvious
as i grow older.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
|
