Universal Design

What makes a home design "universal"?  It's simple.  It's a home designed to be used by anyone! It doesn't matter if you are young or old, short or tall, healthy or ill. You may have recently had surgery or have a permanent disability. You may be a prize-winning athlete or you may have a broken bone, a sprained ankle, or arthritis.  You may have young children and your hands are constantly full carrying the baby or pushing a stroller.  People who are in perfect health still have to carry in grocery bags and luggage. A home designed and built around universal design principals make all these and other tasks much easier to accomplish.  There is less inconvenience and hassle in your everyday lives when your home has been designed to accomodate people of all physical attributes, whether temporary or permanent.

Because of universal design, people who are very different can all enjoy the same home. And that home will be there for all its inhabitants even when their needs change. Here are some of the more common universal design features:

• No-step entry. No one needs to use stairs to get into a universally designed home or into the home's main rooms.
• One-story living. Places to eat, use the restroom and sleep are all located on one level, which is barrier-free.
• Wide doorways. Doorways that are 34-36 inches wide let wheelchairs pass through more easily. They also make it easier to navigate around the house on crutches, or while carrying packages or luggage.  And they are great when it's time to move big things in and out of the house.
• Wide hallways. Hallways should be 36-42 inches wide. That way, everyone and everything moves more easily from room to room.
• Open floor plans. Everyone feel less cramped. Traffic flows more easily around the house.  And people in wheelchairs have more space to turn.

These features also make a home more "visit-able" by people who may be experiencing a temporary physical limitation as well as friends and family that may use a walker or a wheelchair.  With no steps, wide doorways, main level baths and bedrooms, your friends and family are all able to visit, spend the night, participate in special ocassions, and just feel more comfortable in your home and included as part of your life.

Features for Comfort

Some universal design features just make good sense. Once you design them into your home, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. For example:

• Floors and bathtubs with non-slip surfaces help everyone stay on their feet. And they're not just for people who are frail. The same goes for handrails on steps and grab bars in bathrooms.
• Low door thresholds make it easy for a wheelchair to get through a doorway. They also keep others from tripping.
• Good lighting and lots of windows help people with poor vision. And they help everyone else see better, too.
• Lever door handles and rocker light switches are great for people with poor hand strength. But others like them too. Try using these devices when your arms are full of packages. You'll never go back to round knobs or standard switches.
  

Features for Now and Later

Universal design gives you great home feature you can enjoy now. It also helps you plan for the future. Take closets for example. When you build a closet, add some adjustable brackets. Later on, you can use those brackets to move clothing rods and shelves to a more convenient height. This tiny investment helps a closet grow along with a child. It also means you can use the closet even if you start using a wheelchair. This kind of planning can help you make sure every part of your home will adapt to your changing needs.

Universal design incorporates a variety of features and technologies to create an attractive, non-institutional home that is comfortable and safe for all regardless of age or ability.  While this specific concept of designing for ease-of-use and lifestage enhancement has been around for nearly 20 years, its application to traditional, single family housing is just now attracting strong interest. The reason? Most experts agree that universally designed homes can better keep the young and the mature living safely and comfortably where they prefer - in their own homes and neighborhoods.

Universal design homes also offer advantages to caregivers. Many of the design features, such as curbless showers with integral seats and hand held sprayers, better equip the resident to participate in their own care reducing the amount and/or frequency of assistance from caregivers. For those tasks which do require assistance, the provision of more generous maneuvering areas and support railings reduce strain on the attending caregiver.

The intangible benefits of universal design homes are also important. Maintaining some reasonable degree of self-care can help residents gain a sense of well-being and self-determination. And, caregivers may experience a reduction in anxiety knowing that some of the hazards of independent home life, such as dangerous stairs, have been considered in the design. The best opportunity to incorporate universal design is in the design process for new homes. When integrated before construction, universal design can add as little as four percent to the cost of a new home. Most agree that the elimination of just one fall in the home or the reduction of at-home care will more than offset the initial investment. And the increased potential for satisfying independence is priceless.

Remember to consider lifestyle enhancement in your plans as well. For example, in your kitchen, plan a work area you can sit at to make cookies with your children and grandchildren, or add an instant hot water dispenser, which is a quicker, generally safer and more convenient way to heat water for soups and mixes. In a new home, plan for future flexibility and adaptability too. You might identify an area in the home design which can be easily sectioned off as a mother-in-law suite or care givers retreat in the future.

The possibilities are endless. And with the proper application of universal design principles, realizing a safer and more cost effective lifestyle in one's own home is an attractive alternative worth considering.

Contact us for more information about Universal Design!