Oldmanwheeler

Hi Goldhunter_2 You are absolutely correct. I don't care how much education a person has or how long they have been in the industry; ONLY individuals who are wheelchair-bound truly understand the day to day challenges we have to deal with. At one time my wife and I considered doing consulting but quickly realized that change is not welcome in the design and construction industry as long as they meet the minimum requirements under the law. The phrase "we met the minimum ADA requirements" only shows that person and/or companies ignorance! It's not about meeting minimum requirements, it's about meeting the basic needs of a human being. My wife has been an Occupational Therapist for 35 years and she is considered one of the more knowledgeable OTR's on this subject, yet she will admit that as knowledgeable as she was, she had no idea what life was really like. Today she is a much better Occupational Therapist and tries her very best not to take anything for granted. Perhaps our conversation will lead to others with similar needs sharing their experiences, solutions, and ideas. And even more important I hope such a conversation will open the eyes of Cheif Archtech and vendors to create a library with realistic solutions and downloads. For any individuals who don't feel this is important, I challenge you to have someone take duct tape and wrap your legs together from the ankle up to the knees. Make sure it is nice and snuggle and since most of also deal with bad shoulders wrap some of that duct tape around your elbow to limit movement. Now go on with your daily life, not for just a few hours but for no less than 36 hours. Do this and you will have just a sprinkling of what we have to deal with every day and how small things turn into big things. I commend anyone who is willing to try this challenge and I promise you, you will never look at anything the same way again. Sorry for the Rant, but this is the reality for many Individuals.

Eric, Thank you for the advice. I'll add software as you suggested. I guess I should just start and like you said ask specific questions as I run into them. Good Advice. Bob

I have been in a wheelchair since 2008. My wife, who is an Occupational Therapist, and I have managed to adapt our present home to accommodate my wheelchair. Even then I only have access to about 40 of our home. I believe we are in a unique position to design a very liveable, accessible home. The one obstacle I have at the moment is my inexperience with the Chief Architect software. I've played around with it but never attempted a real-life projected like the one I am about to undertake. I understand the "space requirements" of wheelchairs related to turning around, hallway and door widths, etc... I've done enough research to know I want to build the house using SIP panels and we have a good idea on the siding, roof, etc... I would like to find someone more experienced the software who has used it to design and build an accessible home that I can use as a guide. I have my design sketched out, I just am struggling with laying out the foundations, figuring out how to configure the software to reflect SIP panels, etc... If anyone can help give me some guidance I would truly appreciate it. Thank you Bob Fleege Council Bluffs, IA Home Designer Pro 2020

Thanks DJP and LEW

I am new to Chief Architect and I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer for me: 1) I have a home design I drew up in a MAC program and would like to transfer it to Home Designer or at least import an image of the floor plan to assist redrawing it in Home Designer. 2) The construction method we have selected is SIPs Panels so I was wondering if there is a way to design a house in Home Designer using SIPs Panels. 3) I am in a wheelchair so I am design a fully accessible, barrier free home. I found one catalog with accessible products in it. Are there any other catalogs you would recommend that also have accessible products in them. 4) Finally, since the house will be fully accessible I will need to have zero entry exits at all entrances to the house. This will require a lot that slops so that the front of the main level and the back of the lower level are both at ground level. Any suggestions on how to do this? I'm sure I'll have many more questions as I learn the program and I appreciate everyones help.