[Access] Ken Ross needs your input

[Ken Ross]

Accessibility and Facilities Friends,

I received the following request:

5 December 2007 
     Re: Bathroom, west, main floor
     I bought and gave to the church   2 "grab bars for the west 
bathroom.  The "grab bars" are installed.  I am a user.  With a 
request.  The Newsletter indicates that changes have been made, and 
are being made, to the bathrooms, so I make this request:  place the 
toilet paper holder so that the paper holder does not restrict the 
use of the grab bars.   In the present position, the toilet paper 
holder blocks certain positions of the arm, in the use of the grab 
bars.  The placement of the paper holder in its present position can 
block the arm and defeat the purpose of the grab bars.
     Dirk P. Ten Brinke

The restroom in question is not the one with the new ADA-compliant 
toilet.  In case you don't know, Dirk is an elderly long-time member 
of the church, sings in the choir, and uses a cane/walking stick.  I 
saw no good solution, but I figured the only possible solution was to 
move the "toilet paper holder" (TP holder) about six inches to the 
left of its present location.  In further communication with Dirk, he 
objected because

   the holder should be well forward of the shoulder; 
(I don't know anyone with hands coming out of the shoulder, as  the 
position of many holders seems to suggest.  Lots of toilet paper 
holders are in a dumb positions in terms of function.)

Then he gave me his proposal: move the "toilet paper holder" to the 
right beyond the higher grab bar.  I checked this idea out this 
morning.  I would be able to reach it that far forward, but it would 
be a stretch.  Would some of you be able to check whether that change 
would make things worse for other users?

Ken

PS:  I don't think this is an urgent item.  Dirk indicated that he 
had donated the grab bars.  When I asked him who installed them, he 
responded that he didn't remember but that it "might have been before 
your time."  Ruth and I started coming in 1987 and joined in 1989. 
Nevertheless, I want to give Dirk's request a fair hearing.
-- 
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Ken Ross
ruthken at pacinfo.com
home phone:  541-686-1549
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