Something that always puts a smile on my face is thinking about my childhood and the numerous hours we would play “house” in our outdoor playhouse. It was unbelievable how many neighborhood kids we could fit in the tiny plastic home and it never seem to feel crowded. There was a kid in our neighborhood that was confined to a wheelchair and when he would come down to play we would have to adapt our house so he could play with us. We would play house on the patio so that he could be included.  So when I think back on those fun times it always bothered me that he couldn’t wheel right in the playhouse and have fun like the rest of us.

Over a decade later, the once small confined play spaces have evolved into universally designed playgrounds and spaces. Universal Design (UD) has emerged from  “accessible design” or “barrier-free” into a process that includes both functionality and how things look to produce products and environments that are usable for everyone, not just people with disabilities. Basically, it is a movement to simplify all aspects for ease of use.

Moving from the 1970’s Accessible Design Movement to The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, current Universal Design is progressing beyond public spaces into the residential area of home floor plan layout and design. It is not code, or a law, but an unwritten commitment to create awareness and knowledge to provide usability to people of all ages. If you are a 6’2” male around 25 years of age the average home in the United States is built just for you. People at the end of both spectrums typically have to adapt to live in the average home. We should not have to adapt to the environment when the UD functionality can help adapt the standard home into a home that we can live in today and also grow old in. Today’s homeowner wants greater efficiencies, greater conveniences and features that ensure comfort and security.

Universal Design is not a difficult thing to accomplish with your current house blueprint. Your blueprint can easily be adapted. Start by listing the tasks that you complete each day and question what would make them easier.  Do you bang your knees every time you sit down to pay the bills? When walking down the stairs are you leaning on the walls for balance and ruining that nice wall paper?

Listed are a few design solutions to those once before aggravating things:

• Front loading washers, dryers, and pull out dishwashers reduce strain and increase accessibility
• Efficient lighting: pathways, dedicated task spaces, nightlights, touch lights or rocker switches
• Create a safe sloping walkway that allows seamless movement from driveway to the interior of a home without the need to take a step.
• 5’x 5’ clear entrance space and 36-inch wide doors for uninhibited movement
• Fire alarms/smoke detectors that flash, as well as sound, to ensure awareness regardless of sight or hearing abilities
• Lever handles on doors or faucets and ‘D’ and ‘C’ shaped handles on drawers/pull-outs increase manageability
• Walk-in tubs and barrier free shower floors are safer and expand usability
• Grab bars can be located anywhere in the home without detracting from the décor
• Knee spaces under counters increases comfort and convenience when attending to tasks
• Adjustable heights for any household items (ex: closet rods, counter tops, shower heads)
• High color contrasting increases visibility (ex: counter tops from counter edges)
• Ovens and cooktops with front controls prevent the need to reach over hot surfaces during use

These are just a few of the numerous Universal Design options that are easy to incorporate into your home. After listing all your tasks you may want to get with a contractor and see how to come up with workable solutions. It may also be helpful to contact a User-Expert Designer that will take these solutions one step further to meet all the needs of your lifestyle without giving up your unique home plan decorating style. User-Experts consult regularly with families that have small children, those living with different degrees of disability and elderly that are involved with the Independent Living Movement. They are constantly researching and implementing new advances in Universal Design that can be incorporated into the standard home plan and they can also be very beneficial to your design process, saving you money upfront before you begin to build.

As we are all aware, our lives can change with the blink of an eye. Technology is growing at a rapid pace. Our culture and our world as we know it are changing. Universal Design allows you to create an environment that lends itself to improved functionality so that in this world of more and more demands it is a way to simplify and improve quality of life.