Wheel-Able Score for your Neighborhood 1 of 2022

Location, location, location. Those three words summarize how important location is when it comes to real estate. Understanding the connection between housing and the location within the neighborhood has always been the focus for the disability community because of what services are available in the community near housing and even a finer point; creating walkable sidewalks. Now real estate listings include some scores regarding walkability and other community-based scores. In fact, Redfin, Zillow, ReMax, and many others provide these community living scores because the methodology comes from the same source: www.walkscore.com . Walk Score's mission is to help promote and find communities with walkable neighbors. Walk Score receives grants for academic research that helps governments, urban planning, and real estate agencies to understand neighbors and their communities in the United States and Canada.

What is missing is a score that centers around the disability community.  While Real Estate listings have not created walkable or other community-based scores that include the disability community, it should not stop you from continuing your own research through a few good apps once you have selected the geographical location you hope to buy a home. There are three apps I recommend looking into OpenSidewalks, AccessNow, and Wheelmate. 

If you use any of these apps, please share your experience on my Facebook page which can be found on www.horizontalhouses.com .  Transcripts of this episode can be found in a blog post on same webpage.