Big Disappontment
Review Submitted: November 1, 2011
Date of Stay: September 2011
We are both in wheelchair and before booking the house, we asked detailed measurements and infos about accessibility to the owner. But the infos we got had been very different from the reality, because in few words the house is NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIR that can't stand up and walk a little. Beeing a paraplegic and a thetraplegic as we are, we hadn't the possibility to use easily and safely the bathroom, the bedroom and the drying machine, places used for basic things as washing ourselves and our clothes and sleeping...
In facts, even if the inside of the house is not very big to move with a wheelchair (and this could be accptable), the big problem is the bathroom with the tube with a big and high step to go in: more than 25 cm in heighness and more than 25 cm in deepness, so it was impossible for us to arrive near the tube with the wheelchairs and to use our arms to go inside by ourselves or it was very hard and dangerous to be helped by anyone able too. About the bedroom there are two serious problems: 1. the sliding mirror panels that close the room are difficult to slide and we had to move and move them to pass from both sides of the bed and use the furniture of the room (or just to exit) because at the end of the bed there is no space enough to pass; 2. the bed is too low for a person in wheelchair: very dangerous to go in and out because the wheelchair slides on the floor and the force to use to go out or in was extreme and more than the possibility we had (and we have really strong arms and minds, accustomed to face accessibility problems and to solve them). Also the use of the drying machine was not possible because too high for us, seated in our wheelchairs: we simply can't arrive to open and close it and to use the commands. Finally we had problems to clean ourselves and clothes, problems to go to bed and rest....and all this, after asking exact measurements and receiving wrong informations. And the house wasn't so clean as we normally would find a place, but maybe it's a too personal yardstick. We was expecting a relaxing holiday but we had to face difficult and dangerous situations that forced us to leave the house in a couple of days and to find a real accessible place (loosing also the entire big caution we payed): so finally we went in a hotel.
For all these reasons we simply can't recommend this house to disabled people in wheelchair that can't stand up and walk because it's not useful and safe to stay. Big disappointment
Owner's Response: I am extremely sorry that the apt did work out for this guest. We did send every measurement requested, including the height of the bed, and they were accurate. We had planned to remove the sliding mirror panels to make bedroom access easier but on arrival the guest said it was not necessary. We built a ramp from the garage because there is a 4” step and we removed all the rugs, the coffee table and the chairs as requested.
As to the tub issue, we sent the following comment:
“The shower/tub requires a step up to get into. I would also need to check the bathroom door width for you, it is about 30" (762mm), If you send me the EXACT width of your wheelchairs (metric is OK) - I will double check the width of the doorway to make sure you won't have a problem.”
And received this reply:
“For the bathtube we will find a solution, asking for a help to a qualified person to give assistance to my housband (I'm accustomed to use a bathtube in Italy and I have a safe method to go inside/outside).”
Upon arrival I met with the guests and they agreed everything was acceptable but left two days later. We did not charge for the time they stayed or for the two changes they made in their arrival date.
They did not at any time mention any issue with cleanliness, for which we normally get very positive feedback, but our policy is that if anything is overlooked in the cleaning, we send a cleaner on the next business day to clean the entire apt at no cost to the guest.
I was not aware that the guests were not going to have an attendant or housekeeping service.
The question of whether an apt is suitable for a handicapped person is not one an able-bodied person can answer easily, given the uniqueness of every handicapped person’s situation. I can only respond as accurately as possible to the particular questions I am asked. Overall I actually agree that this apt is likely not suitable for handicapped persons with no attendant help.
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