Staff photos by Angie Bean
KITCHENS & Bt — HS
Persons witn sablities
have help available when
changing their home.
Birmingham
Kitchens & Baths
offers high quality
ALAN HITSKY
cabinetry and service
Associate Editor
at very competitive prices,
T
o get to the front door of Joe and Sheila Rothenberg's
Southfield colonial, you walk up a ramp. To go from
the kitchen to the family room, there's a ramp. Out to
the backyard deck? There's a ramp.
There are grab-bar railings in the bathrooms, a wheelchair-
accessible bathroom and shower on the first floor, and the
van in the garage has a ramp and wheelchair lock instead of a
front passenger seat.
Joe Rothenberg has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more
commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Over the
years, as the disease has affected Joe's muscles, it has also
affected his son, Noah, who has become something of an
expert on modifying a home for persons with disabilities.
Noah, 25, didn't make the modifications in his parents'
home. But he learned from the mistakes of their contractors
and has started his own business — Disability Made Easy
LLC — to help people.
When Noah began attending ALS support group meetings,
the Michigan State University hospitality/business graduate
began seeing a need. Everyone had the same problems his
parents had: When a permanent illness strikes, do you move?
Do you stay in your home? What kinds of modifications are
necessary and how should
they be customized to the
individual?
Since he began his busi-
ness in the spring, Noah
has modified 20 homes,
including a full home mod-
ification for a Southfield
neighbor. That job included
changes to the kitchen and
bathrooms, wheelchair
ramps, new shower heads
and lots of grab bars.
"I like grab bars:' Noah
says. "It's important to
have them and a lot of
people don't."
Since graduation from
MSU, Noah has worked
in the mortgage and
real estate fields at Atlas
Mortgage and Marcus
Realty in Southfield. Owner
No expensive showrooms.
Up to 30% less than
Eliot Marcus has been very accom-
Noah and Joe
modating as Noah transitions to his
Rothenberg are in
the shower that took new business.
Noah uses all of his background
a year to get right.
when talking to prospective custom-
ers, advising them of the costs to move and the costs to stay
with a free, written home analysis covering 12 areas. It includes
mortgage and sales costs for modified homes in the customer's
desired area if the customer is considering moving.
While he uses experienced contractors to do the work,
Noah is Disability Made Easy's only sales person and he
meets with each customer. Sometimes, their conversations
can lead to little discoveries that solve additional problems.
"A customer was purchasing grab bars for the shower when
I noticed that the toilet paper holder was very loose. I asked
him if his wife grabbed the holder in order to get up from
the toilet. He was sure she didn't, but when we asked her she
admitted that she had been grabbing the holder for a while.
We installed another grab bar by the toilet."
And sometimes while talking to customers,
Noah sees a small problem — like a loose
hinge — that he fixes
while he's there. Or he'll
Joe plays with
advise about shower
Aussie on a
wheelchair ramp. chairs that are provided
by Medicare or a more-
appropriate type of wheelchair.
His most important advice? Make sure the
job is done right, by contractors familiar with
American Disabilities Act guidelines. That
means that grab bars are heavy duty and at
least two screws in each anchor go into the
wall studs. It means a 12/1 length/height ratio
for wheelchair ramps.
In the end, says Noah, "our goal is to make
the transition for people as easy as possible." ❑
traditional retailers.
Full design/build
service,
Our company
is primarily aimed
at the mid to high end
market, but equally would
suit anyone who appreciates
high quality and design
flair without the normal
associated costs,
248,593,8420
363 E. MAPLE RD,
BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009
Noah Rothenberg can be
contacted at (248) 379-5775 or
noah@disabilitymadeeasyllc.com .
joesardy@bhanikitchens.COM
WWW.bhatnkitchens,com
1149240
HOME IMPROVEMENT • AUGUST 31• 2006 11