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What really makes a house a home is the ability of the home to successfully support the family's daily activities while nurturing their best thoughts, memories, feeling and patterns of behavior.
It is always a good idea to consider universal design when constructing or redesigning a home, but there are situations when families or individuals with physical, emotional or cognitive limitations present challenges that exceed universal design allowances.
When this challenge must be met, it is best to bring in the individuals medical professionals into the design team. They will be able to use their training, expertise, and acute understanding of the individuals needs to create a profile of the client's regular activities, common limitations, barriers and daily frustrations with their environment.
The following is a list of common areas of concern to clients above and beyond the limits of standard universal design:
- The need to create wheelchair accessibility within the home as well as the ingress and egresses. The front door is typically the egress that is modified to be wheel chair accessible, but it is just as important for the individual to be able to enjoy their own back yard or to have access to their own garage.
- Increase safety by identifying areas where there is a high risk of falling. Legs that stick out on furniture, area rugs become a tripping hazard as well as slick flooring.
- Provide ample storage in the restroom and bedroom for necessary medical supplies and equipment.
- The addition of grab bars in the restroom is a common addition, but it may be helpful to add them to other areas of the home based on the users daily activities.
- A keyless door entry can be the perfect addition to a home for those losing the ability and strength in their hands to turn a standard key. The individual can use a finger or other instrument to easily press the key code in.
- For those that are further limited in their abilities, an automatic front door might be the answer, similar to those at hospitals that automatically open as you approach.
- Showers that have no threshold and can be easily glided into from a wheel chair or walker can be very luxurious and attractive while giving offering the client greater versatility and usability for daily cleaning needs.
- The microwave can become the only cooking method for those who loose the ability to cook full meals. Ensure accessibility to the microwave to the individual considering their personal reach range and height.
- Dishwashers can become difficult to navigate around, consider installing the new dishwasher drawers.
- All of the sinks in the home (kitchen, laundry, and restroom) should be at an accessible height to the individual with a 30" minimum clear floor space beneath them. Also ensure that they operate with lever style knobs so that individuals with all capabilities will be able to operate the sinks.
- Provide adequate space around the toilet for access. Commercial ADA guidelines suggest at least 48" clear space to one side of the commode.
These were just a few key items to consider. When designing for individuals with special needs, it is vital that you consider their daily activities and personal frustrations with their existing space.
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