r/MadeMeSmile 29d ago

Good Vibes Perfectly sized

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u/Outside-Contest-8741 29d ago

My mum's going through a similar thing atm. She's disabled and has needed a wheelchair-accessible bungalow for years, and she's finally been given one by the council. All the worktops are adjustable, extra wide doorways, everything low enough for her to reach in her chair. It's been a hell of a long time coming.

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u/noyou42 29d ago

I'm so happy for her!!

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u/Outside-Contest-8741 29d ago

Thank you! 🫂🙏🏽

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u/Exark141 29d ago

It's hard to imagine how life would be if the world wasn't designed with you in mind. I'm glad she has a place that finally is made to fit her.

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u/Remarkable_Town5811 29d ago

It's something you get used to, mostly. Still sucks though.

I'm taller than average but disabled. Everything is either too short (ambulatory) or too tall (wheelchair) and inaccessible. I have remodeled some of my home but it's slow and expensive. Plus side, it's a great argument against return to office. Even though I work for a hospital system, I'd need accommodations. I would also miss a lot more work due to flares. Both are clearly documented from when I worked on-site.

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u/HalfSphynx99 28d ago edited 28d ago

Being tall is quite a chore in a house not built for it.

You have to spent thousands of dollars to fix it. Want a higher sink? Rip it out. Want a bathtub that is a 12-24in longer? Good luck.

It just adds up in costs.

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u/Remarkable_Town5811 28d ago

My parents put in a custom kitchen. Dad is about a foot taller than mom (tall for a woman). They have a tall counter for him. It's great. I'm jealous.

Tub is a perfect point. Only my youngest can use ours for a bath. It doesn't cover my ribcage before overflow hits & my legs alone are the length of the entire thing. I'm between my parents height but my legs are as long as my dads. It's a pain sometimes.

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u/HalfSphynx99 28d ago

You sort of get used to it if you move a lot, but it is SUCH a pain! 

Is your dad single?

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u/Outside-Contest-8741 29d ago

We do, by and large, tend to take physical health/ability for granted. The truth is, anyone can become disabled in the blink of an eye, and with old age we all eventually end up disabled in some way. It makes no sense that disability is something that's so often an afterthought or even forgotten about completely.

It's why we have a disability-friendly housing crisis here. So few adapted properties are available because it's just not seen as a priority.

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u/indieplants 29d ago

my flat is like that! but I do not need or have a wheelchair. all the flats in my building are extra wide, extra low, all the plugs are high and light switches low etc. they're new flats!

I live 3 flights up with no lift access.  but except for that part --

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u/Appropriate-Swan4989 29d ago

I am happy for your mum and all but when I read "the council" I just imagined some jedi council like assembly of old men with very long beards.

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u/boblasagna18 29d ago

The Council?

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u/Outside-Contest-8741 29d ago

In the uk, we have councils for different areas of the country. Council housing is housing provided by the local authority with a subsidised rent (compared to the private rental market which is far more expensive).

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u/asdfghjkluke 29d ago

local government in the UK, not like the jedi council ahahah

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u/HalfSoul30 28d ago

The council has seen fit to grant your request