Barry Brown's Habitat house in Toronto, Canada, is fully accessible to accommodate his wheelchair.

Accessing a Better Life in Canada

Barry Brown, in many respects, is similar to other Habitat homeowners in Toronto, Canada, and elsewhere. However, Brown has multiple sclerosis, a condition that requires him to use a wheelchair for mobility, and his Habitat house was designed with his specific needs in mind.

Brenda, Brown's caregiver and longtime friend, was with him at every step of the process, often serving as his voice when his disability made speaking difficult. But when the affiliate was drawing up plans for the house, they went to Brown to discuss his needs. "They were asking Barry, 'How do you want it?'" Brenda says. "Nobody had ever, ever asked him anything like that before."

As a rule, Habitat for Humanity International recommends that affiliates build Habitat houses with "visitable" features such as 36-inch doorways. Some homeowners' disabilities, however, necessitate more extensive accommodations, such as specialized appliances and bathroom fixtures. Brown's house is unique in an additional aspect: It was built by 200 teen-agers visiting Toronto for World Youth Day in July 2002. The youths spent several days constructing the house at Downsview Park, and the house later was moved to its permanent location in northern Toronto.

A priority in building Brown's house was to design a bathroom in which he would feel safe and comfortable. Before moving into the Habitat house, Brown lived in an "accessible" apartment, but the bathroom was simply not big enough for the wheelchair.

"The stress around giving him a shower was unbelievable," Brenda says. "You knew you'd be hurting him to try to get the chair in." Another problem with the apartment was the carpeting in the bedroom. Not only did it make moving the wheelchair a challenge, but the lift Brown uses to get out of bed was impossible to maneuver on the carpet. Brown ended up sleeping in the living room.

Life is different in the Habitat house. The bathroom is large enough for the wheelchair, as well as the lift. Brown can actually sleep in his bedroom, and the kitchen is big enough for him to sit and enjoy the company of friends. It's not perfect; the garden in the yard is down a hill, putting it beyond the reach of Brown's wheelchair. But it is home.

"I love Barry's room," Brenda says, "because the way they've set it up, there's a tree right outside the window. For him to be able to look at that kind of view, especially with his disability...I don't know how to describe it. He felt like he was finally at home, like he was at peace. Like it was finally his own."

--Rebekah Daniel