Enquirer with MS

[CostaBlanca]

Hi,

I have just received an enquiry for next May and she has difficulty with climbing stairs without a railing. As we are at the side of a mountain, I have 14 steps to my front door and 5 steps via kitchen door but both have railings. However we have a further 4 steps to the pool and terraces and these steps have no railings at present. A single story villa on a flat plot would probably suit her better but then she wouldn´t have the views. She apparently knows the area from previous visits. I would obviously like her and her family to stay in our villa but should I be really frank and tell her that there are just too many steps in our villa. I am sure that they would have a lovely time here but what I am trying to say is that there are probably far more suitable villas available. Any advice?

Maria

[Vally]

How does the DDA work in that part of the world, I would be full rather than try to explain the difficulties it might be someone trying you out

[Mountain Goat]

I find if you are 100% honest, you've got nothing to lose, and I've written quite a few putting-off e-mails re mobility. We've counted steps, measured door thresholds and widths, described the problems.

What's interesting, the more discouraging you get, disability or not, the keener visitors are to come, and we're really trying to rethink rails, steps, ramps etc. but bathrooms/loos are a
problem for us.

Vally - what's DDA? Something to do with discrimination?

MG

[CostaBlanca]

Thanks, MG. Oops, apart from the steps issue, I don´t have a walk-in shower (next winter hopefully), no railings on steps to pool, etc. I guess that she has to consider what the main issues are. I will be as frank as possible and maybe call her later.

I am not sure what DDA stands for either. Disability?

[A-two]

I'm not an expert on MS, but my sister-in-law has it and her mobility varies from day to day. It's an unpredictable disease, but progressive, so it really depends how advanced it is in this person. It's been some years since my SIL has been able to manage stairs without a handrail and she usually needs a stick to walk on level ground. Even 4-6 steps would take a while to get her there, a few minutes. If there's no handrail, she would need two people on either side to steady her, or one person with a handrail on the other side. If the steps to your pool and terrace are wide enough for 3 people side by side and level, it sounds like they could help her up and down no problem, but those 14 steps up to the front door sound like a very big challenge to me, but I don't know this person and neither do you.

I would explain very clearly exactly what your stairs entail, send extra photos if you can, then suggest she talk to her doctors about it and let you know her decision. If you know about somewhere else that meets more of her requirements (fewer stairs), then she may be very grateful to know there is an alternative available and recommend your place to all her able bodied friends instead.

What I wouldn't do is make the decision for her because that would put you in the position of discriminating against her on the grounds of her disability, which is not good. Your role is to give her as much information as possible to describe exactly what it is that you're offering so that she can make an informed decision for herself. That's the law here and I think it's a good one.

[Giddy Goat]

Very strong feelings on this, having worked a lot with disabled people. I agree with what has been said - give her as much information as you can and leave it to her, and to her family, to decide. Only they will know of what she is capable - this condition, as you know, is characterised by remissions (ie temporary improvement) and 'exacerbations'. So even at her worst, she will have a good idea of her physical limitations. I don't think her doctor's advice is necessarily any more up to date than that of her and her family's perosnal experience.

May is a few months away of course, but generally it is safe to say that MS is slowly progressive, so that one wouldn't expect there to be significant permanent change in six months.

DDA - Disabilities Discrimination Act?

[Big Sis..]

Hi Maria,

How much information and photos are on your website[dont think its shown here.]
If all the relevant information is on the website I wouldnt worry too much as they have looked at it and can see the possible pitfalls.
I think as Gasc says noone knows their condition and limitations better than the sufferer and family and as in all illnesses most people try to live as normal and full a life as possible .
So as long as they have all the facts let them decide.

If there arent clear photos of the pool showing the steps on you website maybe you could take one and send it to them.

Ive got a friend with Huntingdons.... which makes here walking very hazardous at times but she is so determined to live a normal life that shes always surprising us with what she accomplishes[earlier in her condition she even talked me into going with her to tap dancing lessons.... ..]but I think I was the one who shew HER up

[Vally]

Disability discrimination act...you cannot discriminate against a person because of their disability ....on the whole I agree with it and do not need laws to tell me but........ I also have problems with it having a 250y-o property on top of a hill!!!! when we converted the front building to cottages we had to pay out an extra £5000 to have our top patio made "flat" a prescribed tilt as a ramp, as the steps into the bar were unsuitable for wheel chair access, the fact that we were giving up the bar and restaurant due to Chris's ill health not withstanding. Once inside I have reasonable ramps and a downstairs room, but that doesn't stop the whole site being unsuitable due to its age ansd position

[Alan Knighting]

Dear All,

I don't regard saying things like

there are just too many steps in our villa

is the right approach.

Give people the facts and let them make up their own minds. It's amazing, and sometimes personally embarrassing, to see what people can do when they set their minds to it.

I’ve frequently found when I have said “You can’t do that!� the response has been “Oh! Yes I bl**dy can, just watch me!�.

Fluffy

[CostaBlanca]

Thanks everybody for your advice.

My reply was positive but I sent some additional outside photos and indicated the number of steps to both upper level of the villa and the pool. As she has no doubt sent enquiries to many other VR owners, she will decide which one suits her needs best. Cheers,
Maria

[Normandy Cow]

it is safe to say that MS is slowly progressive

Just to put the record straight, for everyone's information, there are two kinds of MS: "Relapsing Remitting" (RR) and "Secondary Progressive" (SP). The latter is the type that Jaqueline Du Pre and Richard Pryor eventually had.

If she has the former, then by next May she could be perfectly fine, or she could be worse. There is no telling, it is totally unpredictable, each person's MS is different and it is impossible to make an accurate prognosis. Even she probably doesn't know how she will be. She may even slip into SP between now and then. If she has already has SP, then she may well deteriorate by then, but again there is no way of telling, and even so, she could still get better.

Like others have said, the only thing you can do is give her all the facts and allow her to make an informed decision.

Regards,
Catherine
(Who has, but does not "suffer from", MS - and most people who meet me would never know).

[Ciapolin]

Disability discrimination act...you cannot discriminate against a person because of their disability

You are right Vally, but it does vary from country to country. When we were renovating here, I kept asking our architect, comune, health department etc what we need to do to make sure we complied - the answer kept coming back a blank - in Italy they just don't seem to have anything like this.

We are rural, and if I think there may be a problem for customers I always try to explain exactly what we do and don't have here.

[Vally]

I have a friend who lives in Spain , I think they must have some form of it where as she lives they have a lot of ramps into shops, down high kerbs etc...Gill managed to slip of the side of one of the ramps and broke her hip,weeks in hospital, plans to open a bar now no go as she is now disabled!

[Big Sis..]

Hi Vally,

What a shame hope she recovers OK...

Im not surprised though.The pavements are notoriously dangerous in Spain. They are tiled and the slopes that are supposed to make life easier in fact is making life more difficult.
Especially when wet...there was an article in the local paper when I was out there in October
where a Shop Keeper has reported that five people had fallen and badly hurt themselves down one of these slopes recently outside his shop...

[CostaBlanca]

Valley,

I am not sure how many, if any, rules/regs are in force here for private dwellings. However, if all rental properties have to be registered, things could change.

Thanks to all who advised on my query. My enquirer did not book finally. She was able to choose a property more suited to her needs.

Maria