Has anyone modified your home or moved to accommodate for your child with cerebral palsy? Our house is three stories and built so boxy. Any suggestions or ideas. If you modify your home, can you write it off? Thanks.

Melissa
Kamsmom

My sister and I were curious about this ourselves. My niece's condition doesn't appear to be getting any better (She's 5 years old), and yes, there are many physical obstacles in her home that may be an issue.

As far as it being a tax write-off, I'm not entirely sure. To be honest, I can't see why it wouldn't be. Modifying one's home for someone with CP would have to be an essential thing to do -- I would think. To top it off, I would think it would be expensive, so if you pay taxes, you shouldn't have to pay that extra money.

Where/who do you think you'll go to for house modification if you choose to do so? I'm presently looking at contractors and they're VERY expensive.

We have done this a few times. My brother has CP and requires a wheelchair so we have built a wheelchair ramp, had bathroom renovated and installed a staircase lift. I was too young for some of them, but the staircase lift I handled.

Basically, sure its a good idea to modify depending on your needs. Where I live, there are some organizations that provide financial assistance to help modify homes or cars. Your government may have programs like this also.

In terms of taxes, I forget but I believe we did not have to pay the provincial tax. As for property tax, where we live (Toronto), if the modification increases the value of the property, then the taxes are also supposed to increase. But if the modification is for a disabled person, then they don't increase the taxes.

Some homes are better candidates for modification than others. A home is considered to be adaptable if it has all or most of the following key structural features to allow reasonable entry and circulation without extensive modification:

Entrance is on a flat or level site with paved walkways from parking and sidewalk
Alternatively the entry could be on ground-level entrance with a one or two step entrance, clear of any major obstructions (trees, corners, etc.), that would accept a ramp with a slope no greater than 1 inch height per 12 foot length.
No steps or abrupt level changes on the main floor.
Doorways that are at least 36 inches wide.
Hallways at least 42 inches wide.
At least one bathroom on the main level with a 36 inch wide door and clear 5 foot by 5 foot floor space.
A kitchen that is U shaped or L shaped with room for a wheelchair to maneuver.

Hello. Thanks for all the wonderful replies. I haven't been on in quite some time and didn't know what anyone had responded. We currently have our house for sale and are going to try and build a house (purcashed a lot) that is a ranch style open plan. But if it doesn't sell then we will modify in some way to make it easier.

Melissa