Amendment to Idaho’s building code is needed to accommodate wheelchair access

Building code

An amendment is needed to the Idaho building code.

My Idaho home was built in 2005, and I have been very happy with it. But when I tried to use a wheelchair to get around inside of it I found the doorways are too narrow to allow a wheelchair to fit through them.

This indicates a change in the building code is needed to require wider doors. That change won’t help me but will help future homeowners.

A cursory search found three sizes of wheelchairs, Narrow (child), medium (normal adult) and wide (obese adult) I did not consider mobility scooters, so I don’t know what sizes they need.

There is probably a group somewhere that can tell us the most common size used and the doorway could be sized to fit that.

Pipes and wires should be set back away from the doorway to allow someone to widen a door to a wider wheelchair size.

This may require an adjustment to hallway size and the turn radius of corners going into a room. Certainly, that is a consideration for scooters.

Quick action would be appropriate as our population continues to age.

David Rogers, Meridian

Pay it forward

Recently, I received a call from my mother who was emotionally overwhelmed. She told me how a Good Samaritan unexpectedly paid for her groceries at the Fairview WinCo store. She would like to thank him for his generosity and how much it meant to her. It was an unsolicited and unselfish act of kindness that she appreciated very much. My mother is always helping others, despite being 88 years old. I firmly believe that when we help others, we benefit from it. Despite all the news of climate change, politics, wars, we need an occasional boost such as this to know there is still good out in the world.

Shauna Williams, Eagle

‘Ed scare’

Here’s how the “ed scare” played out in Idaho. Extremists cried wolf over critical race theory “indoctrination,” monopolized the legislative session and held budgets hostage until laws were passed for non-existent problems. Then they effectively distracted the public from real – still unaddressed – state problems while “investigating.” With policy damage done, and no evidence of their claims revealed, the conflict entrepreneurs released the next batch of distractions.

The latest false accusations are about “sexualization,” radical gender theory and “grooming” of children in schools and libraries. This spawned book bans, unjustified interference in education and pushing “Biblical policies and practices” into public schools.

This New Idaho Republican Party is rewriting history and expecting their beliefs to be taught in our publicly funded schools. Here’s a false statement from their platform, “The United States of America was founded on legal, political and economic systems based on Judeo-Christian principles.” And then they cry “censorship” because their fabrication isn’t taught.

Their expectations are clear. “The legislature should...include the Bible” in teaching about our founding documents. That’s scary.

Vote extremism out!

Janice L. Martell, Parma

Sen. Crapo

Sen. Mike Crapo’s recent TV ads continue a trend of lies, mistruths and omission of facts.

He rails against Biden’s alleged open borders policy. This is a mistruth and omission of facts. Studies such as that done by the Cato Institute for example demonstrate that Biden’s policies are in fact stricter than Trump’s.

His complaints about Biden allowing drugs into the country is again a mistruth. This has been an ongoing issue for decades through both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Crapo continues the tact of many Republicans pandering to the Ill informed, largely uneducated.

As a lifelong Republican, I am astounded that the party has sunk to such lows since Trump was elected. The truth no longer matters as long as they can get in power. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem like it will change anytime soon unless we start electing moderate candidates with common sense and a duty to the people and not the party.

Glenn Anders, Meridian

Arkoosh

Vote for Arkoosh. This support comes from a lifelong conservative who always votes Republican — until now. Mr. Arkoosh is a middle-of-the-political-road person who is interested in actually doing the job of attorney general. He is clearly the only candidate who comes even close to that standard. You are all urged to take a moment to seriously consider what kind of a person you want for attorney general. If you do it, Mr. Arkoosh will be your choice.

Royce Larson, Emmett