The high cost of accessibility
The financial hurdles to an accessible home renovation are astronomical, and the method landscape for projects of this sort varies greatly from province to province. Funding can come from insurance firms, governments, tax credits and nonprofit organizations. None of this is simple to secure, and that is even before you undergo the lengthy means of actually starting an accessible renovation.
You haven’t got to take my word for it. Sean MacGinnis is president of Ottawa-based BuildAble, an organization focused on making accessible renovations more widely available. He says there simply aren’t the resources that ought to be there, though organizations like March of Dimes are desperately attempting to fill the gap.
“This need is shamefully underfunded,” MacGinnis said. MacGinnis and his partner Kyla, a nurse by career, founded their business after seeing firsthand this need and the financial barriers faced by disabled people looking for accessible accommodation.
What are these barriers? For one, disabled Canadians are chronically unemployed or underemployed, with a 16% employment gap in comparison with non-disabled counterparts, in response to data from the federal government of Canada. Additionally, financial relief for home renovations is proscribed as costs skyrocket attributable to tariffs, labor and lumber costs. MacGinnis says corporations like his and their customers also feel that weight, which could be especially high whenever you consider the price of long-lasting medical equipment that you just would not need for a typical renovation — just like the elevator I discussed.
“You’re paying more for that equipment, which means there’s less budget for renovation, because obviously the cost of living keeps going up and it’s getting harder and harder to go without it… When you have long-lasting medical equipment and the cost of care is also going up, it’s very difficult to get the whole package.”
Renovation costs could be reduced by planning ahead
According to MacGinnis, there are things you may do to ease this financial burden, akin to planning ahead for future needs and prioritizing “must-haves” over “nice-to-haves.”
“If we like a planned approach, then immediately someone who has been re-diagnosed with MS [Multiple Sclerosis] You may just need a few grab bars to safely get in and out of the shower and then [they can] They have a long-term plan that allows them to actually start budgeting for the complete bathroom renovation.”
Although there are relatively few renovators who focus on completing accessible renovations at reasonably priced prices, there are some resources available. That of the federal government Accessible Housing Tax Credit opens the door to a lower tax bill after home renovations, and various provincial governments have different cost-offsetting programs, akin to Ontario’s ADP or BCs BC IF.
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In my case, I applied to Telemiracle, a non-profit organization that receives its funding through an annual fundraising event. When it involves finding easily accessible renovation expertise in your area, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association offers one Online Rolodex the available providers.
MacGinnis also has advice for tradespeople who could be keen on filling this huge gap out there, having seen a good variety of projects where another person has done the job incorrectly before being hired to repair the issue. His message? Make sure you educate yourself and your customers.
“Really take a humble approach and listen to your clients, listen to their needs, understand the impact it has on them, and understand that it’s not just a renovation where you’re just changing the room to change it. That has an impact. That means a lot to someone’s daily life, and you have to make sure you do it right.”
Three lessons from my experience
I believe that after starting this text with a poetic description of my home, I should end this text with my thoughts on how you can cut costs and emerge from a house renovation relatively unscathed.
First, create a plan—not only for the present you, but in addition for a more disabled version of you. We often fall into the trap of portraying ourselves at our greatest, and this has a painful impact on disabled people’s already limited funds. As you apply for these funds or check with your contractors about them, imagine your worst day. Even on bad days, you should feel like your private home is a house.
Second, if possible, find contractors you trust who know where you may and can’t cut costs. If you do not know anyone (and I do not), ask. Talk to disabled people in your area about who they need to work with and why. I selected contractors because they understood that adding an elevator or moving my laundry room upstairs – one other project I paid for out of pocket – wouldn’t increase the worth of my property.
And last but not least – and that is going to sound cliché – be kind to yourself. A house renovation is the most effective mental way (pun intended) to eliminate negative feelings about your financial well-being. Take the smallest step and install the grab bar or shower chair, get the deal and picture an area you like, not detest.
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