Accessing Accessible Housing Design

 In theory and application, accessible house design is one that can make the home feel safe, welcome and comfortable for all its users including people with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderlies.

Accessible housing is now exclusive to one design alone but can actually be categorized depending on their distinctive features. CHMC published a series called “Accessible Housing by Design: Accessible House Design and Floor Plans” and discusses the following types of homes which make them accessible.

An accessible house is one that can fully address the needs of a PWD, thus it has modifications in its features including larger hallways, wider doors, kitchen work surfaces with enough knee space for a wheel chair user, wheel-in shower stalls and rooms that can accommodate open turning spaces for wheelchairs. Mobility in case of emergency should also be considered when designing an accessible home.

Another design is that of a visitable home that has basic accessibility features which can accommodate people who are mobility-challenged. Visitable homes have accessible washrooms on the ground floor, with wider doorways and entries to let people using wheelchairs enter easily.

An adaptable home is one that has the potential to adapt to changes easily and cost-efficiently. It may not have fully-accessible features but it may accommodate the future needs of the users. For example, an adaptable home may have removable kitchen cabinets so it can create knee space once a family member starts using a wheelchair. CHMC has released their FlexHousing guidelines for adaptable homes which can help homeowners reconfigure their homes once their requirements change at affordable costs.

A universal home is one that is designed to address the needs of different types of people with different capabilities. A universal home is designed to have fully-accessible features in the living areas, the kitchen and the bathroom. It also incorporates lighting design so people who will start to lose their vision can still see. The house also has easy to operate doors and windows, user-friendly appliances, easy-to-grasp handrails and easily-operable window coverings.

CHMS is Canada’s national housing agency and frequently releases guidelines, fact sheets and check lists on how homeowners can create safe, welcoming and comfortable environments within their homes.