Welcome back for Part 2 of our two-part blog on Planning Your Forever Home. In our last post, we discussed the ideas of universal design (UD) to create overall appeal, the use of flexibility in design and the idea of simplicity and intuitivism in terms of choice.

For today post, we’re going to round out our 7 Tips by touching on presentation, planning ahead, and making appropriate choices in creating your Forever Home.

Tip #4. Present essential information clearly.
Any information that needs to be conveyed to the user is done using a variety of methods, such as through sensory, pictorial, or tactile means, so that everyone, including someone with limitations, can manage it.

Examples include:

  • Keyless locks use a remote control or keypad that’s user-friendly.
  • Universally-designed appliance controls feature obvious symbols and colors in addition to words to clarify instructions, such as red for hot and blue for cold.
  • A circuit-breaker panel that’s on the main floor that is clearly labeled for the area each breaker serves, using both a coded floor plan as well as written area names.
  • Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should provide both audio and visual signals.

Tip #5. Allow for user errors.
UD tries to imagine the potential problems and then solves for them before the need arises. The design itself anticipates the dangers and discourages unconscious unsafe use in areas such as:

  • Incorporating handrails on both sides of the staircase to give support to a frail older adult, a sick younger one, or anyone carrying loads of laundry.
  • Installing a shower stall without a threshold to prevent accidental trips and also allow for wheelchair access. Adding a slightly sloping floor will aid with drainage and cleanup.
  • Placing grab bars securely anchored to the structure of the walls in bathroom areas to ensure stability when moving in and out. They can double as towel bars.
  • Built-in non-slip flooring in bathrooms and showers, such as tiles with some texture. Carpeting should be low-pile and tightly woven, such as Berber-style carpets.

Tip #6. Think, “low physical effort.”
Everyday household items should be easy to use (i.e. efficient, comfortable, and requiring minimal effort). They should not require a user to contort his/her body or use a lot of physical force to achieve the desired effect.

These household items may include:

  • Rocker-panel light switches. These switches, as opposed to standard toggle switches, can be easily flipped with a fist or an elbow if you’re carrying something and don’t have fingers free.
  • Switches and controls are placed at easy-to-use heights, more convenient to more people than the standard placements (Note: UD favors light switches that are 42” to 48” from the floor, thermostat controls that are about 48” off the floor, and electrical outlets and phone jacks that are 18” to 24” off the floor).
  • Kitchen outlet and garbage disposal controls that are mounted on the counter rather than hard-to-reach positions at the sink backsplash.
  • Raised, front-loading washers, dryers, and dishwashers that don’t require stooping or reaching.

Tip #7. Appropriately-sized objects for use by everyone living in the home, regardless of body size or mobility
No matter what the body size, posture, or level of functionality of family members, they should be able to approach, reach, and manipulate objects in the home easily. There should also be sufficient space for someone who needs to use an adaptive device, such as a wheelchair or walker.

For example:

  • An open, spacious floor plan with hallways that are five-and-a-half feet wide, rather than the standard four-foot width. These hallways can look modern and inviting while accommodating strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs when and if they’re needed.
  • Build in a variety of work surface heights, such as countertops that are low in some places along the perimeter and higher in a center island, for a user who’s sitting on a tall stool or low chair, or standing.
  • Fold-back doors installed under a cooking island will permit knee space for those who need to use a stool or a wheelchair.
  • A wall-mounted sink with open space beneath loses some common storage but gains access for a wheelchair, especially when the drain is positioned at the back, rather than in the middle.
  • Raised or adjustable toilet seats comfortably accommodate those with back, hip, or knee problems or those who have problems with balance.
  • A molded seat in the shower stall can look attractive and modern; it’s as handy for a woman shaving her legs or shampooing a small child as for a senior being assisted in the bath.

Universal design incorporated into the planning and design of your home can help to create a long-term living situation for your family. If you are considering remodeling or having a home built, be sure to contact the experts at MDV Remodeling to see if including UD in your design fits with your living situation.

*image: Thinkstock