by Anais Durand

People with disabilities deserve to be given the chance to live independently, which is why adapted housing plays a huge part in daily life. John Logan has been a Blackwood tenant for the past four years, so he is an expert regarding housing, home adaptations and the way innovations make a real difference in the lives of people with reduced mobility.

John accompanied the Blackwood Foundation team to the Naidex conference last April, and is eager to recollect the innovations that made an impression on him. “Overall Naidex was a very good experience” he tells me with enthusiasm, a statement which echoes the general opinion of the Blackwood Foundation team. The one innovation that specifically struck John was the OwnFone, a customised phone that only displays a selection of names or images, making it easier for children, seniors, and disabled people to stay in touch with their family and/or carers and reach the emergency services when required. Take a look at our article featuring the OwnFone here

Another display that caught John’s eye was the range of Etac wheelchairs which offer the possibility to put the user of the powered chair into a full upright standing position. Find out more about the Etac wheelchairs by reading the article here. Regarding the setup of the Naidex exhibition, John was amazed at the sheer size of the exhibiting premises. The fact that there were covered areas surrounding the parking spaces by the front door made a very good impression on him, as he points out that “as a wheelchair user, I need a bit more time to get out of the car.” The only complaint John has to make about the display of the Naidex exhibition is that the aisles were slightly too small considering the number of attendees with reduced mobility and the amount of wheelchair users that were present. Overall, John had an extremely positive experience at Naidex, and is even thinking of going next year.

The other topic that John is particularly eager to discuss is his life as a Blackwood tenant and how it has allowed him to maintain his independence. His Blackwood residence is situated in a complex of seventeen semi-detached cottages, and features an additional garage as well as a shared community garden. He has been living in his Blackwood home for four years. Discussing the display of his house, he insists on the importance of manoeuvrability and accessibility: the corridors are wide and well-fitted for wheelchairs users, which makes it easy to turn around and get through doors. Equipment wise, John uses the ENIGMA electric wheelchair, which offers wider room and fits in the back of the car. John also has a scooter, the COLT, a basic model which he prefers to the wheelchair although it is slightly heavy.


His kitchen, which is partitioned off, is made up of multilevel surfaces that are easily accessible. The other feature that John is eager to tell me about is the electrical plugs, which allow easy access as they are displayed slightly higher than average. There is a deep sense of community within the Blackwood homes that echo through John’s words. In case of an emergency, it is easy for him to access the neighbours or contact the council. The shared aspect of the community gardens promotes social inclusion and prevents isolation. When I ask John whether there is any alteration that could be carried out in order to make his life easier, the only addition he can think of is of a camera door entry system, which would mean that tenants would not need to go to the door every time someone rings the bell. We published a couple of articles concerning smart door entry systems, check out the Doorbot article and the feature about Chui, the hub user interface system. John concludes by asserting that in terms of adapted housing, progress knows no bounds, and adds that the innovators of tomorrow should remember to involve the disabled home owner in the decision-making process.

What about you? Are you currently living or have you lived in an adapted home? If you have any comments regarding house adaptations that have changed your life, please share them below!

To find out more about John’s equipment, click here to go to the ENIGMA wheelchairs website, and here for the COLT range of scooters.

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It's so good to hear how happy John is in his Blackwood house and that everything is geared to assist his independant living. I live in a Blackwood flat which is one of 24 here. I am also a wheelchair user but I feel that I am just a nuisance to everyone. Originally I was told that my flat was  wheelchair accessible and as I had never been in  wheelchair accessible accomodation before, I took everyone's word for it. The bathroom has a wet floor and there is a bath in it too but because there is too much using the space it makes it impossible to utilise anything to its full potential.  My kitchen was changed along with everyone else shortly after I moved in, but I wasn't asked during the redesigning if the work surfaces were the correct height for me. in fact I wasn't asked for any input and now when I point things out I am asked why I didn't say something sooner. This is usually followed by a huge sigh! When the kitchen was all finished I realised that I would not be able to use it much if at all as most things were out of my reach, the oven opened the wrong way, I couldn't turn the hob on and I couldn't reach the electric switches. On top of this is the narrowness of the doorways. I am in my power chair all my waking hours and I'm ashamed to say I have taken chunks out of some of the door frames I have hit. I felt relieved when my OT told me that it wasn't my fault and that my flat is not infact wheelchair accessible.  2 1/2 years on and finally the odd thing like the oven door is getting altered, but I've been told the cupboards, electric sockets and work tops etc will remain the way they are but if the cantilever style cupboards were put in I would have to pay for it. Well, I don't have any savings so things will have to stay the way they are. I really feel that my disability is looked on as a huge annoyance to everyone and now that I've said I am going to have to move everyone seems to be breathing a sigh of relief. I actually never asked for anything to be changed when I first moved in because I was too ill to care. I've read lots about how wonderful Blackwood is in other areas and I'm really happy for the people who are happy where they live. It's so important whether you are getting on a bit or whether you are living with disabilities, or both. Being happy in the home you are in with good neighbours and friends to chat to close by is important for your health among other things.  I don't want to sound like a troublesome, miserable person because I'm not but I have asked lots of people around me if they are happy and not one said yes which begs the question - why are you unhappy and what needs to be done to lift everyone's spirit? June

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