How to Incorporate Universal Design Principles

There are many reasons to make your home more accessible. Perhaps you have a family member in a wheelchair, or elderly parents who visit frequently. Maybe you just want to make your home work for everyone. No matter the reason, architects no longer think in terms of barrier- free designs; instead, they employ universal design principles to make a house open and attractive for all ages and abilities.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Whole house

1. Have everything needed for living--bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and laundry--on the main level (without stairs) even if yours is a multistory house. At least one point of entry to the house should be usable without having to go up or down stairs. The door should be at least 32 inches (81 cm) wide, preferably 36 inches (91 cm), with a lever-style handle instead of a knob and a flat or beveled threshold no more than 1⁄2 inch (1.2 cm) tall.
2. Build interior doors at least 32 inches (81 cm) wide with leverstyle handles instead of knobs.
3. Pay attention to how lighting is installed throughout the house. Mount rocker-style light switches near doors at a height that a seated person can reach. Install push-button lighting systems for people with severe upper-body disability.
4. Build hallways at least 36 inches (91 cm) wide. 42 inches (107 cm) is even better. Keep floors clear, and use nonskid backings on area rugs and runners.
5. Install a telephone and a light switch within easy reach of the bed. Add access to alarm and emergency alert if necessary.
6. Get a front-loading washer and dryer. They're easier for everyone to use and they save energy.
7. Install sturdy handrails on all staircases, and make sure there are light switches for the stairs at both the top and bottom.
8. Install adjustable rods in closets. Clothes can hang at a lower height, enabling people in wheelchairs (and children) to lift hangers off the rod without pulling the clothes down.

Kitchen and bath

9. Install bathroom doors so they open outward--if a person falls in the bathroom, he or she won't block the door. To ensure that everyone will be able to easily use bathrooms, plan for open space of at least 5 by 5 feet (1.5 by 1.5 m), no-scald faucets, grab bars capable of supporting 250 lb. (113 kg), flexible hose shower heads, seating in the bath or shower, nonslip floors and surfaces and lower towel bars.
10. Install lever-style faucet handles in the kitchen and bath.
11. Mount your cooktop at a height of 30 to 32 inches (75 to 81 cm), and make sure that cooks don't have to reach over burners to operate the controls. Use D-shaped handles for cupboards, and install a pullout work surface at a height of 24 to 30 inches (60 to 75 cm).
12. Opt for a side-by-side refrigerator-freezer so food will be at accessible heights.

Tips & Warnings

• The pitch on a wheelchair ramp should be no greater than 1 in 12 (1 foot of rise in 12 feet of length). A lesssteep pitch--from 1 in 14 to 1 in 20--is better. Consult with your local building department for codes in your area.
• Lever-style door handles and rocker-style light switches are great for everyone. Try using a regular doorknob with an armload of groceries and you'll see.
• Pedestal-style (open underneath) kitchen and bath sinks, allow a person in a wheelchair to get close enough to use them easily. But be sure that drains and hot water pipes are positioned to prevent burns.

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