1. Universal Design helps keep disabled people in their homes - Kansas Cit... http://assets.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/02/16/focus2.html?t...
Members: Log in | Not Registered? Register for free extra services.
Kansas City Business Journal - February 16, 2004
/kansascity/stories/2004/02/16/focus2.html
Friday, February 13, 2004
Kansas City Business Journal - by Michele McInerney Contributing Writer
Imagine going into your own house and not being able to reach high enough to turn on the lights or plug in a lamp.
Or not being able to get into the house at all.
For people who become disabled or those whose lifestyles change because of age, that sometimes happens.
"I used to work with disabled people. They would go through therapy and then find they couldn't function in their own homes," said Paul
Levy, executive director and founder of Universal Design Housing Network. "With all that rehab can do for a person, they find their
house still needs to be completely changed."
That's why Levy started UDHN, a nonprofit organization based in Kansas City that helps people retrofit their house, or build a new
house, to make it usable for everyone. Levy said his philosophy is to promote education and awareness and provide help to people so
they can live in their house comfortably.
"It comes down to making things fair for everyone," said Eddie Tapper, vice president of architecture and management for Dalmark
Development.
Tapper has worked with Universal Design since the company's inception about six years ago.
"Whether its age, your height, weight, blindness, hearing loss or lack of mobility, it doesn't matter," Tapper said. "The homes are
comfortable and made to fit whatever you need done."
Tapper said it boils down to rethinking home design for today and for the future.
"We want people to be able to age in place," Levy said. "It is very traumatic financially and emotionally to have to move out of your own
house and into a more restrictive environment. Or to be a captive in your own house."
Karen Rugg knows all about that.
Before having a Universal Design home built north of the river, she rented a duplex that was not workable with her wheelchair. The
stairs were a problem, and the bathroom was so small she said she feared her wheelchair would get stuck.
"This home is a dream come true," said Rugg, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis. "I can get everywhere inside and
outside of my house. I could never do my own laundry before; now, I can even do that. It's great."
A sidewalk wraps itself all the way around Rugg's house. There's a no-step entry to get inside, and once inside, the house is filled with
amenities that make Rugg's life easier. She said pillars divide the rooms instead of walls, there's a push-button fireplace, a wheel-in
shower, a washer and dryer with buttons on the front and a lift that can get her from one story to the next.
"I think the main thing is having things at a level, like outlets and light switches, where you can reach things," Rugg said. "And not having
other things, like raised thresholds between rooms and tiny bathrooms. I can even go out in the garage now to get stuff."
Levy said building a Universal Design home generally costs 2 percent to 3 percent more than a traditional home. Having to go back and
retrofit a home can be much more costly.
"If you wait until later and want to rehab, you may be looking at replacing stairs and widening hallways," Levy said. "That can be very
expensive."
For example, a normal door is about 2 feet 6 inches wide.
"To make that door 3 feet wide instead, it only costs you about $4 to $6 more if you're building," Tapper said. "If you had to come back in
and renovate it, you'd be looking at drywall, frame, door, electrical and floor issues. The cost could reach $1,000 per door."
Universal Design houses dot the metro area and are being used to help builders see the benefits of accessibility.
"It's not rocket science; it's just looking at housing a little differently," Tapper said.
1 of 2 8/28/2009 2:42 AM

2. Universal Design helps keep disabled people in their homes - Kansas Cit... http://assets.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/02/16/focus2.html?t...
The Universal Design house in Kansas City on East 16th Street, called The Sunderland House because it was financed in part by the
Sunderland Foundation, will be included in two upcoming national books demonstrating ideas for bathroom and kitchen designs.
The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house cost $130,000 to build and is about 1,400 square feet.
Function is important, but beauty also is a key component. Levy said the features are incorporated in such a way that no real differences
are noticed, until they are needed.
Levy's expertise comes from professional and personal experiences. He, too, uses a wheelchair because of MS.
"Universal Design Housing is a way for everyone to get what they want from their home, whether it's to age in place, because of a
wheelchair or any number of other reasons," Levy said. "It's a way to level the playing field when it comes to your own home."
Michele McInerney is a free-lance writer in the Kansas City area.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
2 of 2 8/28/2009 2:42 AM