Designing Homes for CILifetime
Written by Mary-Lane Kamberg Photographs provided by Eddie Tapper
Paul Levy's house has four bathrooms, but he can A home built using this concept includes such features
enter only one of them because he uses a wheelchair. as no-step entry, slip-resistant flooring, 48-inch-wide halls,
Doorways to the others are too narrow. And he can't interior doorways between 32 and 36 inches, and other
visit 90 percent of his friends and family, because their improvements to "standard" home building. These
ho
Paul is working to change all that
He
live there,"
F;lousing Paul says. "A ttniversal
in design more
safer
for _HJ
of people who work in
tended f~ily members,
friends and others who
Tapper,project manager for Rosemann and Associates, isit.
usly was operated may want
Kansas City, Mo., says this kitchen in a Sunderland Universal Design
House shows that universal design homes are inviting.
"Univer, esign sets up
The Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City (Mo.).
Their purpose is to positively affect the public's r physical capacity and e to function
knowledge, awareness, attitudes and overall acceptance as well," Paul says.
of universal design in home construction and to Not surprisingly, a recent survey by the American
promote construction of more homes using universal that 83
design concepts. of to live at
Universal design ensures that products and home as they age. Unfortunately, as the natural aging
environments are usable by as many people as process takes its toll on strength, endurance, dexterity and
possible. In housing, that means including modifications flexibility, many find that their homes no longer
that make life simpler, safer and more comfortable for accommodate them. And 53 percent of those surveyed
all household members, regardless of age, size or said they have modified their homes to help them "age
.. physical ability.
July-August/WIB
in place."

To eliminate built-in barriers in traditional housing, adults, in the United States those older than 65
they have added lighting, confined living quarters to one outnumber teenagers. And nearly two-thirds of all
floor, replaced doorknobs and faucet handles with lever people who ever lived to be 65 are alive today.
devices, installed water temperature controls and added "In 10 years one-third of the population will be
hand rails and grab bars. In so doing, they have considered elderly," Paul says. "And there's a shortage
minimized opportunities for accidents and injuries. In now of
fact, research cited by AARP shows that such housing that
modifications and repairs could prevent a full third of will
home accidents. accommodate
them.
Universal
Design is the
answer to
that. "
Too, a home built according to Some features of the Sunderland
Universal Design House include
universal design principles is (clockwise from upper right)
pull-out counter adjacent to the
attractive, with a luxurious feel of oven for pans and a full-access
pantry for dry goods; wider doors
open space, ease of movement and no-step entry for wheelchair
and baby stroller passage; lowered
and simplicity of design. upper cabinets and storage that
pulls down to remove possibilities
"A home for a lifetime means of falling off step stools; and
shallow sinks with a removable
base cabinet front to allow for
one you can live in and grow old seated use, as well as raised, front
loading washer and dryer.
in," Paul says. "The home adapts
to you. In standard homes, you Helping older Americans
have to adapt to it." and those with disabilities
An estimated 53 million stay independent is one
Americans have mental or goal of community groups
physical limitations of one or like Paul's.
more major life function, Paul says. In addition, the Baby "Life can be so easy, if
Boomers are aging. According to Senior Resource you live in a house without
Group, a provider of living environments for older obstacles," he says.
WIB/July-August
..