Accessible & Universal Design: Why Now vs Later?

Our ultimate goal at Pippin Home Designs is to design a home you LOVE so much that you make it your forever home and choose to age in place in it.  Achieving such a feat comes with some inherent responsibilities and foresight into the future.  
Your life is ever changing, and your needs will shift as you age.
Things to consider when planning for your future:
  • Are you planning to retire and age in place in your home?
  • What will you need as you age?
  • How can we plan for the natural (and unintentional) processes of the aging human body such that you can stay in your home as long as possible?
  • Who might be living with you in the future and who may be leaving the nest?  
  • Will your home still function for you when you retire?
  • Do you need to accommodate an aging parent?  
  • Do you want to plan for a live-in caregiver?
  • How will you move around your home if you experience a debilitating accident?  
  • What if you suddenly require a wheelchair, crutches, walker, or body cast?  
  • What if one of your loved ones’ experiences any of these challenges?  
  • Will they be able to visit you?  

​We use the strategic techniques of Accessible and Universal Design to support you in your home now and for all the days ahead.
What is Accessible Design?
Accessibility in reference to home design is a term coined in 1990 with the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The intention of Accessible Design is to meet the functional limitations of people with disabilities and other physical challenges, be they short term or permanent.
Statistics on disabled: 
Data collected in 2018 by the CDC showed that 61 million adults in the United States live with some form of disability.  That’s 26% of the population or 1 in 4 adults.  Another statistic shows that 2.8 million kids age 5-15 also have a disability.  What these numbers show is the likelihood that we are all living with the need to accommodate someone with limitations in life.
What is Universal Design?
Universal Design is a broader concept using techniques that take into consideration EVERY possible challenge and limitation in life.  A Universal Home is designed with spaces and products that are easily usable by all people; healthy and ill, able bodied and physically challenged, young and old, tall and short, male, female, and everything in between.  Regardless of individual abilities or circumstances, Universal Design empowers homeowners and their visitors to carry out routine household activities with ease and without the need for adaptation.
Concepts of Accessible & Universal Design:
Equitable Use
These homes consider people with diverse abilities. They are designed to be accessible, appealing, and accommodating of all people at all ages.
 
Intuitive Appliances
Simple and intuitive appliances include right- and left-handed usability, easy to use fixtures, low physical effort required for operation, minimized hazards, appropriate space for approach and use, and located at appropriate heights for the intended users.
 
Solutions to Aging
Design solutions to many common aging challenges can extend your quality of life far into the future.  
            
Visitability  
Design plays a big role in how comfortable others feel in your home.  Homeowners may not initially believe their home needs to be accessible, however visiting family and friends with additional needs should be considered.  
Checklist:
There are countless creative aspects to Accessible and Universal Design.  The following are a few of the most popular:
 
Visible Exterior
  • Walkway lighting
  • Motion sensor lights – no need to turn on lights
  • Step lighting or handrail lighting
​
Barrier Free Entry
  • Level yards
  • Ramps built into the garage for safety and privacy
  • No stairs outside or ramp in addition to stairs outside
  • Gradual sloped walkways 
  • Textured, non-slip surfaces for sidewalks
  • No bump thresholds for exterior doorways

Minimize Stairs Within the Home
  • One level living
  • Elevator planned into design with stacked closets (5 ft x 6 ft or larger) on each level 

Flooring
  • Hard surface flooring - easier to glide across floors 
  • Level flooring between transition spaces - easier to glide between rooms
  • Color contrast to aid in visual indication of transition spaces

Open Concept Floorplan 
  • No sharp boundaries between rooms
  • 5 ft x 5 ft turning radius in all rooms
  • Larger bedrooms and bathrooms with space to move around

Usable Doors/Doorways
  • 36-inch wheelchair accessible doorways 
  • Pocket doors or barn doors that slide to save space
  • Doors that open out of the room eliminate potential of being trapped in the room if door is blocked 
  • Lever handles as opposed to round handles on doors -helps with trouble gripping, arthritis, full hands (ie. groceries, kids, etc.)
  • Pass thru closets eliminate dead-end spaces 

Easier Access Lighting and Electrical Outlets
  • Lowered height light switches - easier to reach for children or shorter people
  • Raised height electrical outlets - less bending down
 
Kitchen Countertop Adjustments
  • Slightly taller or lower countertops to accommodate height of inhabitants
  • Roll under countertops, sinks, and cooktops - wheelchair accessible
  • A seated prep work area in the Kitchen
  • Rounded corners on countertops – reduces bumps and bruises

Modified Appliances
  • Raised appliances (dishwasher, washer and dryer) to minimize bending over
  • Appliance drawers that pull out vs. doors for dishwasher/refrigerator/freezer
  • Cooktops with front mounted controls - No need to reach over hot burner to adjust heat

Modified Cabinets
  • Drawers as opposed to traditional cabinets -no need to bend down and dig through to find items
  • Touch latch cabinets - easy push open, no need for grasping

Bathroom Shower Modifications
  • Curbless showers - no need to step over a threshold to access the shower, easy wheelchair or walker entrance
  • Built-in seating
  • Euro style showers - larger showers with only small step to enter
  • Shower and bathtub valves at appropriate heights for occupants 
  • Single shower handle valves - easy to turn on water and adjust temperature
  • Blocking in bathroom walls - grab bars can easily be added in the future
 
Vanity Possibilities
  • Taller bathroom vanities - reduce amount of bending to get to sink
  • Wall mounted vanity to open up more floor space
​
​Automated Controls
  • Wireless control smart home features
  • Voice controlled smart home features
  • Automatic door openers
  • Lighting on motion sensors
  • Ventilation fans on timers
  • Automated appliances and storage closets (ie. Storage Motion)
The Wave of the Future!
Accessible and Universal Homes are sweeping the home design industry!  People are catching on to the IMMENSE VALUE that can be added by simply designing in ease and comfort.  
Elements of Accessible and Universal Design are convenient for you now 
and may become a necessity for you or someone you love in the future.
How Much is this Going to Cost?
Accessible and Universal homes are NOT more expensive than standard homes, they’re just smarter!  As you can see reading through the check list above, many items are simply about placement or product selection.  We love getting really creative and thinking outside the box to design intelligent, forward-thinking, and beautiful solutions to potential future challenges and inevitable life changes.
Why Now VS Later?
Incorporating Accessible and Universal Design into the designs for your home BEFORE it’s built is the key to long term ease, comfort, and usability.  Adding many of the elements listed above as an afterthought can be expensive, time consuming, and challenging.  
Thoughtful planning ahead ensures your home 
will support your life now and transition 
gracefully as your physical needs change.
You’re already on the enlightening path of home building.  Take the opportunity to enhance the quality of your life and functionality of your home far into the future by including as many elements of Accessible and Universal Design as suits you.​
Our Award-Winning Homes with a View are designed to fully support your life and those you love! Give us a call or email us today!

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