How to Build Accessibility Into Every Home

Accessible design techniques in wide demand

Photo credit: Tapestry Custom Homes

Universal design is creeping into the standard American home almost unnoticed. And that's the point. The goal of universal design is to build a house that's truly accessible - enabling anyone to get to and around all rooms, regardless of their physical condition.

But universal design is no longer just for senior citizens and the handicapped. Today's builders are incorporating some of the most popular design details associated with accessibility to spark interest in mainstream home buyers of all types. Builders are also becoming more sophisticated at blending these touches into a home's architecture.

Accessible features an easy fit

For Bill Slease, owner of Tapestry Custom Homes in McKinney, Texas, true universal design lies in the small details. While some options - such as zero-step entries, 32-inch-wide doors and levered door handles - are obvious, others are less so. Take the kitchen. Slease likes to build tri-level countertops comprised of a main work section that's 36 inches from the floor, a bar section at 44 inches high, and a 30-inch-high table extension where kids can play games or parents can spread out the Sunday paper. Putting the dishwasher under the bar rather than the main work section allows him to raise the appliance 8 inches off the floor, eliminating the need to stoop down for loading. It's just one touch that has universal appeal. "My daughter is 36 years old, in very good physical shape, and she loves it," he says.

Center kitchen islands are a natural fit for universal design, says Maureen Mitton, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and author of Residential Interior Design: A Guide to Planning Spaces. While widening the space around the island to 4 or even 6 feet gives someone in a wheelchair space to open refrigerator and oven doors, it also makes it possible for multiple people to work comfortably in the same space.

Storage that accommodates everyone blends easily into a conventional kitchen. Benjamin Bradley of Bradley Thiergartner Interiors in New York City uses floor-to-ceiling cabinetry to anchor a countertop or fill in a corner. The cabinets let everyone in the house find their ideal spot for food and utensil storage.

Making other levels work

As bathroom square footage continues to grow, it's easy for builders to ensure the bathtub, toilet and vanity share a 30-by-40-inch open floor space, the minimum needed for wheelchair access.

Zero-step showers are ideal in a universal home, though not vital. Many buyers appreciate a grab bar in the shower, but some builders may be reluctant to include them in a new home. Fortunately, it's easy to add grab bars later using Moen's SecureMount™ Anchors. The anchors are part of a patented system from Home Care® by Moen® that allows for secure grab bar installation anywhere on the wall. No studs or blocking are needed, and the anchors have been tested with up to 600 lbs. of weight.

It's also relatively simple to install the shower controls on the sidewall of the shower instead of beneath the showerhead. Doing so will ensure the controls are within reach for someone with a physical disability, in addition to caregivers bathing children.

Bedrooms require easy access to clothing, so Mitton also urges builders to create layouts for a 30-by-40-inch maneuvering space in front of closets and where a dresser will likely be placed.

Hard floor surfaces enhance occupants' ability to walk and roll about the house smoothly; Slease considers tight berber carpeting hard enough. A wealth of choices from stained concrete to ceramic tile let builders make sophisticated design statements. Slease also likes lowering window sill heights to provide someone seated a view of the outdoors, which also lets more natural sunlight into the room for everyone to enjoy.

The best news: "When you're designing a house from scratch, I'd say the cost to achieve accessibility is relatively nominal. These basic fundamentals are not that big of a cost issue," says Slease.


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