Real Life Renos : The Podcast

Most people who are charged with making decisions about the spaces we live and work in don't truly understand the 'why' behind accessibility. Today's podcast digs into that a bit.

Following up on our last podcast about making decisions, today's podcast is all about questions you should ask yourself about your health, how you live and how much you engage with the world.

Are decisions about your future a problem for today or are you putting them off to tomorrow? If you make decisions tomorrow's problem, someone else may be making decisions for you.

Designing for one disability can cause problems for a different disability. Dr. Mark Iantkow has spent many years of his career building on previous work that never quite captured these nuances of design. Today he joins me and Ron Wickman to explain the Dimensions of Access Design.

Have you ever considered a career in construction - whether as a contractor, architect, or plumber - but felt drawn to making homes more accessible? If so, this episode is for you!

The Canadian Helen Keller Centre (CHKC) is a leader in the deaf-blind community, providing affordable housing and training since opening its first residential building in 1992. In this podcast we talk with Jennifer Robbins, CEO of CHKC about their current project, building a 56-unit residential building with a 6,500 sq. ft. training centre. If your introduction to the deaf-blind community was The...

We've acquired a lot of new listeners and readers over the past year. I want you to understand why I do this work so welcome and I hope you enjoy this episode.

When the time comes to think about downsizing, many of us immediately think of condo living. While that may be a suitable option for some, it isn't necessarily the best option for aging in place or for people with disabilities. Remember that as we age, issues start to crop up like reduced range of motion, hip or knee replacements, progression in a disease as well as the unexpected. Understanding t...

Thinking about who you might want making decisions for you if you can't or who gets what when you pass on is a difficult process. Even more difficult is the burden left to others if you don't make proper preparations. In this podcast we talk with William A G Simpson, a personal injury lawyer who sees the results of lack of preparation daily. Bill will explain what we need and why in plain English...

Carrie Anton, Paralympic Gold Medalist, joins Ron Wickman and Karen Brown to discuss everything from Goalball to setting standards for the built environment to TWISIs.

Do you ever wonder why you feel better when nature's elements are brought into your environment? Linda Kafka joins us to explain the science behind what our bodies already know - that being one with nature gives us all the feels.

Does your home contribute to your health or to your allergies, illness or discomfort? In this episode, Linda Kafka, a Well Accredited Professional, introduces us to the Well Building Standard and helps us understand how to make choices supporting wellness.

Before you pick up a hammer or call a contractor, decisions must be made. In this podcast, we talk with Aging in Place expert, Linda Kafka, about the thinking and conversations we all need to have.

Ron Wickman joins us to recap his experiences at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and Alberta Association of Architects conferences. Multiple people discussed accessibility! Ron also lets us in on whether or not he puts accessible design features into client projects without their knowledge.

Part two of our conversation with Robert Lipka and Ron Wickman focuses on the issues small towns have with becoming accessible. Toward the end of the conversation, we talked about words and how they matter when discussing accessibility.

Outdoor spaces must be accessible for those who enjoy gardening, socializing or sitting outside reading a book in nice weather. Some of those outdoor spaces are being reduced by the push toward infill housing. Today's podcast looks at both of these issues.

Often built in a hurry and usually an eyesore, ramps are the subject of my conversation with Ron Wickman. We'll talk about why the entry to the home needs to be given more thought, how to blend ramps in with your exterior and we'll suggest alternatives to that front yard monstrosity.

I haven't done a specific video or podcast on the very basic question of the why behind the need for all of us to think about our future in terms of access within our own homes. I'm going to talk about that today, and then I'm going to talk about the most basic action. Starting. Where do we start and how do we start?

Ron Wickman and I have lots of things on our individual lists of hopes, dreams and wishes for accessibility in 2024. Join us as we discuss the top three on each list.

Architect Ron Wickman and Contractor John Kupchenko both specialize in accessibility. They join us to discuss some of the ins and outs of building accessible homes.

As an Aging in Place and Accessibility Strategist, I am frequently asked questions by those who aren't sure where to start with planning for the years ahead. The questions vary but 6 of them are frequent flyer questions so this episode answers those 6 for everyone.

Izzy Camilleri is a world-renowned Canadian fashion designer who turned her creative talent and energy to adaptive and inclusive clothing in 2004. Izzy believes that people of all ages and abilities should have access to clothing that is well-fitting and great looking in addition to being functional.

Planning for future needs is, perhaps, nowhere more important than the bathroom. Today Ron Wickman, an Architect who specializes in barrier-free design, and I discuss building a new bathroom as well as renovating an existing bathroom. We talk about challenges, language, styles, and yes, pricing.

Our series with Architect Ron Wickman continues with a dive into making vertical movement within a house accessible.

We continue our series on accessible housing with a deep dive into making the entry to a house accessible.