A space tailor-made for accessibility gives girl room to grow
DENVER— For Meg Nichols, an 11-year-old living with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, something as simple as washing her hands can be a daunting task because one wrong move could land her in the emergency room.
Meg moves around her home by scooting on her bottom. That makes reaching for door handles, drawers and cabinets physically challenging for her.
“She’s 11 years old now, so it’s about time she can function independently,” said Leslie Nichols, Meg’s mother, of her daughter having safe spaces to navigate in their home.
Her daughter, said Nichols, is "a vibrant young kid who wants and needs her independence.”
In early November, Savvy Giving by Design (Denver) a local nonprofit that designs adaptive spaces for children facing medical crisis, stepped in to customize an accessible bedroom and bathroom for Meg that she can use with minimal assistance. The design challenge, according to Andi Lawlor, the nonprofit's president, was giving attention to details that are often overlooked but are vital to giving Meg ease of access.
“Every project has unique elements to it,” Lawlor said. “This one is amplified.”
Diagnosed at birth with brittle bone disease, Meg defied the odds to reach her 11th birthday. Her parents had worked hard to grant her some sense of independence for her 25-inch frame, “we have tried to figure out some homemade stuff for her, ” Nichols said.
But their efforts could not give Meg complete control of her daily routine.
(BELOW: Meg's room before the accessibility updates. Photo: Will Peterson, RMPBS)
Meg could barely contain her excitement as she entered the rooms during the big renovation reveal, hitting the light switch that now sits low enough for her to access from the floor.
Meg sees her new room for the first time. Photo: Will Peterson, RMPBS
Her bedroom, now customized to her height and strength capabilities, lets her get dressed in the morning, put on makeup in front of her new vanity mirror, and even play an instrument, before heading off to school. All with minimal help from her parents.
Meg can now reach her clothes and instruments with no assistance. Photo: Will Peterson, RMPBS
Her bathroom has just as many thoughtful details. All the power outlets are placed in drawers so that she can plug in her hair dryer and other electronics without assistance. The sink and toilet are touch activated, so when she has a fracture or breaks, she can still use them. She can even take a shower without help thanks to an easy slide curtain and adjustable shower head.
"I’m so happy for her that she can now function independently in her spaces,” Lawlor said.
Meg’s one request for her new bedroom was for a new “secret” space. And walking into the little room,her review was in.
“It’s perfect,” she said.
William Peterson is a senior photojournalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at williampeterson@rmpbs.org.