Visitability. This is a movement to change home construction practices so that virtually all new homes, whether designated for residents who currently have disabilities or not, offer a few specific features that make the home easier for people who develop mobility impairment to live in and visit. If you’ve ever driven by the lovely townhouses at 58 Glendale Ave., you’ll see that every one of them is smoothly and attractively ramped. A ramp is an easy way for everyone to get in and out of a home...it doesn’t exclude anyone. Whoever designed these townhouses was really thinking.

While some of the features of Visitability would be flexible, the three rigid Visitability features are: wide passage doors, at least a half bath on the main floor and at least one zero-step entrance. With these built into new homes many more people with disabilities would be able to age in place without moving when they become disabled and also be able to visit friends and loved ones. For more on Visitability go to www.concretechange.org.

Smooth transition from driveway to entrance	at townhouses at 58 Glendale, St. Catharines

The only entrance ramped upon construction that I know of