Alberta-created wiki becomes global resource for home modifications for physically challenged

An Alberta-created online resource for home modifications for people with physical limitations is helping patients around the world.

Modifications for Barrier-Free Living is the name of a "wiki" launched in Edmonton earlier this summer that's filled with information on home modifications for people with disabilities, including how to build a wheelchair ramp, choose contractors, make adaptations such as lowering counter and wall switch heights and apply for funding for renovations.

The wiki was created through a three-way partnership between the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, the University of Alberta and the Seniors' Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE) and includes links to provincial and national organizations such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Canadian Obesity Network.

"The thing that keeps people in the hospital the longest is waiting for their homes to be modified," says Ian Connolly, an occupational therapist at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton.

Wikis are websites that allow visitors to create and edit the content. People anywhere in the world can post their ideas and information on the site, which is moderated by a professional to ensure the material is accurate and current.

The site is useful to any family caring for a person with disabilities, whether they live in Grande Prairie or Guatemala. To date, there have been close to 3,000 visits to the Alberta wiki from people in 18 countries.

Grace Maier, director, specialized geriatrics at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, says there is a lot of information than anyone can use. "But there's also the potential for local things to be added like contractor information in a particular area or information on actual modifications that have been done that are specific to an area of the home or a type of disability."

Connolly tells all of his clients about the wiki. He says the site's greatest strength is the fact it's always filled with the most up to date information, and is a great way for people to learn from others' experiences.

"It gets people thinking about home modifications, things we often take for granted," he says. "At the very least, it gets people started in the right direction."

For more information and to view the wiki, go to http://www.homeforlife.info/