This book is totally impractical and a big waste of money. It portrays "mansions for the disabled" by use of dramatic single and double-page pictures. The text is sparse and often uninformative. It has an almost total dearth of practical information which would be useful to anyone but a multi-millionaire. For example, one photo shows a beautifully decorated living space which includes, as its sole sop to the handicapped, a wheelchair with an attractive throw pillow on its seat. (How practical is that?) Another photo shows a kitchen with almost no cabinetry below the countertops, enabling a person in a wheelchair to work at any of the surfaces. But what tools, dishes or food would this person find for his or her use? Unfortunately, most of these items must then be stored out of reach in its overhead cabinets. The small amount of practical information available could be, and has been, successfully put in a pamphlet. While the jacket cover claims that the book contains "practical advice for converting your home for accessible living," what is actually depicted are new homes of amazing size and splendor, not accessible to 99.9% of all people, disabled or otherwise. I am still looking for a definitive text on planning for accessability. This is so much easier to build into a home than it is to add later. I personally feel that it would be desirable if all new homes could be built with accessibility in mind. Yet the topic is rarely mentioned in any book on home design.
