Just as accessible parking is specifically designed to accommodate disabled people, often with larger bays placed closer to the store, so accessible homes and furnishings are designed to meet the needs of people who have a physical or mental impairment. Sometimes this impairment substantially limits one or more significant “life activities” that many people take for granted. Therefore, a careful and caring approach to creating a suitable environment is essential. Here are a few of the principle issues you should remember when creating an accessible residential property for people with physical disabilities.
Exterior
Mobility, hearing and visual impairment issues are among the most common features that need to be considered when designing housing for people with physical disabilities. For example, if you use a stick, a walking frame or a wheelchair, level access or a shallow ramp from roadside or sidewalk to the threshold of the front door will help you enter and leave your accommodation more easily. If there are steps, then an external handrail may be of benefit. If you are blind or visually impaired, you may need extra lighting along any external paths and brightly-colored painted edgings on any steps approaching your doors.
Perhaps you are a wheelchair user who is a keen gardener, in which case you may enjoy working among raised beds that are easily accessible. Sensory gardens around a home or apartment block can be a great bonus for disabled and non-disabled residents alike as they meet a range of needs; they often have one or more of highly scented plants, tactile sculptures, sound and water elements and magnifying-glass features.
Interior
The same principles of paying attention to access in terms of vision, sound or mobility apply inside an accessible home. Increasingly, some of these features, such as doorways that are wide enough for wheelchairs and accessible restrooms on the ground floor, are being incorporated into standard designs for new homes.
If you are planning to remodel a home for a disabled resident who has a mobility difficulty, for example, consider how easy it will be for them to navigate between more than one story, should this be necessary. Also, if your resident happens to be a wheelchair user, think about what you can do to make sure that work surfaces in the kitchen are at a suitable height. You should also check that there is a comfortable, well-upholstered fabric sofa or chair they can transfer to when relaxing at home.
If you have a tenant who has a hearing impairment, or you have one yourself, you will be familiar with some simple features that can be of assistance, such as doorbells, smoke alarms and telephone aids with flashing lights. Designing housing for people with a visual impairment also includes “smart home” assistive technology, such as lighting controls that can be adjusted to your individual needs, keyless door locks and infra-red sensors to control bathroom water flow and temperature – to reduce scalding – as well as curtains that automatically close at dusk.
All in all, technology coupled with a conscientious approach to accessible home design is beginning to become more able to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
