Sue, have the rough opening reframed to

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accept the wider pull down attic stairs. Lots of posts and some fear expressed by some of the experienced poster on this board about cutting joist for this purpose. But if you hire it out to an experienced carpenter...he can double or even triple up, if he feels necessary, the cross joist he installs after he cuts the two joists out of the way and re-frames the opening to hold the pull down attic sttics and you should not have a problem with weakening of the joists he had to cut a section out of!...just my two cents. get a few estimates for the job from several experienced carpenters...good luck LJ