Home is where the heart is … and today you can make that home a “forever” place with an adaptable design that meets your changing needs at the different stages of your life or it catastrophic events take place. A style that originated in the ‘60s, the adaptable, or universal, plan is now a popular choice—and several of its features are making their way into most homes.
Started as an advocacy project in the 1960s by American architect Ron Mace and in the United Kingdom by architect Selwyn Goldsmith (both of whom were disabled), adaptable, or universal, design has now become a global design trend. The term “universal design” was created by Mace to describe “the concept of designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life.”
While this style began as a design for the disabled, it evolved into much more over the years. Today it caters to the young and old, healthy or otherwise. Its features and products are safe, functional, and convenient, as well as attractive and appealing. Because it is based on principles that meet everyone’s needs and life changes, the home with an adaptable or universal floor plan is perfect for “aging in place.”
In addition, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs Statistics at a Glance, in 2014 there were 3.95 million veterans receiving Veteran Administration (VA) disability compensation in the United States. Any individual with a disability needs a home to accommodate their special needs so they can live safely and with independence; however, it is not always that easy to find available or affordable, accessible housing.
Wounded veterans returning from war often face many challenges, perhaps none so frustrating as physical hurdles in their own homes. For those who have lost limbs, the floor plan and features of their homes often present a daily obstacle course — simple tasks like preparing food or taking a shower are nearly impossible. Depending on each person’s disability, the various needs for access varies greatly.
What’s more, not unlike our disabled Veterans, there are also more than 76.4 million baby boomers (40% of the population) in the United States, with increasing numbers who are cecoming wheelchair bound as they age. So wheelchair accessible house design – sometimes also referred to as universal design – includes home design features that start with the floor plan itself. And while thought of as for older Americans or those with a disability, many of these ideas make sense regardless of age and ability.
Finding the right house to be adapted to accommodate the disabled or elderly can be difficult, and finding one that has already been made accessible is like a needle in a haystack in most markets! Many people with disabilities, including Veterans, simply give up on finding housing for disabilities thanks to a shortage of accessible housing in this country, which is expected to grow worse due to the aging of the graying baby boomer population over the next few years.
There are a number of factors involved when rebuilding an existing home to make it accessible, including modifications, retrofitting, and affordability. And it is not always simply as easy as building a ramp or a more spacious wheelchair accessible master bathroom and/or bedroom. Wheelchair accessibility involves more than just adding a ramp and a roll-in shower stall. Many times the bathroom needs to be enlarged substantially. Some existing houses lend themselves to these adaptations, but others do not, especially in older homes with narrow doorways and hallways or smaller garages.
One also needs to think about obstacles such as a garage that is too small for a lift-equipped van stairways, or even a step down into a sunken room become a tremendous challenge. And let’s not forget those inaccessible door handles, light switches, and in some cases lack of the ability to even access the backyard thanks to sliding door tracks, screen doors, or other obstacles.
Challenges faced by some folks include the fact that when there is no hand function, shower and sink controls must be lowered and converted to handles rather than knobs, not to mention the fact that the controls also need to be at the right height to reach. Support handrail placement must also be reviewed, as well as the size of the shower area and the necessity for two showerheads – an overhead and a handheld showerhead. In addition, most kitchens are not only too crowded, but often will not function at all for a handicapped person who is wheelchair bound given countertop heights and shelving.
Oftentimes modifying a home would mean gutting it and creating an entirely new interior space at a comparable cost of to simply building a new house. Building a house from scratch is sometimes the best option. Many of the homes from The Plan Collection can be modified for the disabled. Why wait for your “golden years” to remodel/renovate your home to adapt to your needs and lifestyle changes? As more Americans want to “age in place,” they are now planning a “forever” home during construction. By opting for an adaptable/universal-design floor plan or a one-story home from the outset, families cut down on future remodeling expenses and most importantly, can make renovations fairly easily. It just makes more aesthetic and economic sense.
The Plan Collection (www.theplancollection.com) features almost every type of house plan available, so home buyers can shop for one story house plans, which offer the perfect solution for empty nesters needing to live on one single level. All over the world, people are finding many interesting and creative style options for their adaptable homes. These mostly one-story homes combine the functional, trendy, appealing, and comfortable. The principles of universal design can be applied during construction; and minor modifications are doable in a variety of home plans – including Bungalow, Ranch, Traditional, Contemporary, Country, and Farmhouse plans.
Here are a few of the features disabled homeowners need to think about when building an accessible home:
For more ideas when building a new accessable home for the handicapped, check out the following guide with additional tips and resources for disabled housing: ChoiceHomeWarranty.
Throw out all misconceptions about an adaptable/universal-design floor plan. Your plan can be as modern, stylish, and attractive as you want it to be. Besides, this can be your family-friendly “forever” home where you can comfortably and safely age in place.
Source: United States Veteran Affairs; Department of Veterans Affairs Statistics at a Glance
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