This document discusses visitability in housing, which refers to basic design features that allow people with disabilities to easily visit friends and family. It notes that over 36 million Americans have a disability, yet 95% of homes lack visitability features. Visitability aims to promote inclusion by requiring at least one no-step entrance, 32-inch doorways, and a half bathroom on the main floor. Advocates argue this benefits all by accommodating aging in place and preventing falls or injuries. The document recommends passing laws and policies to mandate visitability in new single-family homes.

1. Visitability
Housing that Welcomes All
Why Visitability?
• Over 36 million Americans
reported having a disability in 2010
• 11.9% of U.S. population
reports hearing, vision, cognitive,
ambulatory, or self-care difficulty
• Social Costs of Inaccessible Homes
– 25 to 60% of homes have a
mobility impaired resident over
lifetime
– 95% of homes do not have
Visitability features
– Inaccessible homes increase the
likelihood of falls
– Increase the difficulty of
returning home after
hospitalization
– Segregate people with mobility
impairments due to accidents,
illness or age
• Over 50 visitability ordinances have
passed nationwide.
• Visitability is inclusive, affordable
and sustainable.
Housing Research
& Advocacy Center
Misson
We promote fair housing and diverse
communities, and work to eliminate
housing discrimination in
Northeast Ohio,
by providing effective research,
education and advocacy.
FAIR HOUSING AND
This pamphlet is intended to convey information.
Nothing in this pamphlet should be relied upon as
legal advice, nor should this pamphlet be regarded
as creating an attorney-client relationship.
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Cuyahoga County Department of Development
© 2014 Housing Research & Advocacy Center
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Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Phone: (216) 361-9240
Fax: (216) 426-1290
Email: info@thehousingcenter.org
www.thehousingcenter.org
Welcome

2. What are Visitability Features?
There are three basic elements to make housing
visitable:
1) One zero-step entrance on an accessible
path of travel into the house,
2) Thirty-two (32”) inches of clear passage
through all interior main floor doorways,
and
3) At least a half bathroom on the main floor
with designated maneuvering space.
Benefits of Visitability
• Older adults are able to age in place
instead of being forced to move to accessible
housing,
• Visitability makes all residences more
convenient and welcoming to guests with
disabilities,
• Visitability features lessen the opportunities for
falls and other injuries,
• Visitability enhances resale value in areas
where an older demographic is rapidly
increasing, and
• Visitability increases integration and inclusion
by reducing danger and embarrassment of
people with disabilities when visiting friends
and family.
“I’m so glad you could
make it to my party
Ryan!”
Accessibility vs. Visitability
Accessibility enables a person with a disability
to equally use and enjoy a home as someone
without a disability. The Americans With
Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures accessibility
featuresinpublicaccommodationswhiletheFair
Housing Ammendments Act of 1988 ensure that
all new construction of multi-family housing
(built after 1991) include accessibility features.
However, neither law requires visitability.
Recommendations
Enact visitability laws to fully integrate
communities with members of all protected
classes. Some examples of visitabilty mandates
include:
• Develop visitability policies
• Provide information on visitability to
builders and consumers
• Basic accessibility features on all new single
family construction
• Visitability features required for all
new single-family construction that
receives federal financial assistance
• Requirements for developers to
include visitability features in order to
receive certain non-financial benefits such
as zoning for increased density
• Passage of an Inclusive Home Design Act
Fair housing laws were designed to protect
everyone from housing discrimination and to
promote residential integration. In order for
communities to be fully integrated, housing also
needs to be visitable. Housing that is “visitable”
has a set of basic design features that allow a
person with a disabilty to visit friends, family
members, and neighbors in their homes. The
Visitability Movement is based on the conviction
that inclusion of basic architectural access
features in all new homes is a civil and human
right and improves livability for everyone.
If you would like more information on visitability,
or if you think you have been a victim of housing
discrimination because of your race, national
origin, religion, sex, color, familial status,
disability, military status, ancestry, or any other
reason, please contact the Housing Research &
Advocacy Center at 216-361-9240.
You can also find information on visitability at
Concrete Change www.concretechange.org
The Center for Universal Design and
Environmental Access at www.udeworld.com
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development www.hud.gov
C o m m i t t e d t o f a i r h o u s i n g f o r a l l .
Visitability allows someone with a disability
to visit their loved ones and friends.
Visitability directly addresses the housing
needs of an aging population that has
increasing numbers of physical disabilities.
Accessibility and visitability are necessary to
fully integrate housing.
Visitability Resources