Universal design. Accessible design. ADA design. These terms all convey images of unattractive, institutional spaces required by law and disability. As more Americans move into their senior years, more face challenges to their ability to live independently, which the vast majority prefer. AARP put it this way: “87 percent of adults age 65-plus want to stay in their current home and community as they age.”
Increasing Need
It isn’t just older users who face independent living challenges. There are an estimated 291,000 people in the U.S. with spinal cord injuries, and their average age is 43 years old, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. Car accidents, falls, sports injuries and gunshot wounds are leading causes of SCI, the University of Alabama-based group reports.
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There are more than 7.6 million Americans with significant vision loss in the country, as well, according to the National Federation for the Blind. Overall, the Census Bureau found in the last count that 56.7 million people living in the U.S. have one or more disabilities. With obesity-linked diseases like diabetes with its crippling potential on the rise, those numbers could easily increase in the 2020 census.
Accessible design is needed by more and more Americans.
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Home Connection
What does this mean for the American home? It means that more builders, architects, interior designers, kitchen and bath professionals and remodeling contractors are working with clients who have a household member, if not themselves, needing one or more accommodation to make the space safe, comfortable and usable.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the bathroom. Most homeowners prefer that their master suites evoke resort spas, rather than rehab hospital rooms, and numerous design trends not only make accessibility possible, but make it stylish, as well. These include barrier-free showers, hand-held showerheads with adjustable heights, shower seats and benches, lever handle and hands-free faucets, and sleek cabinet pulls, (rather than knobs).
Universal design isn’t a new trend; trade associations like the National Association of Home Builders have been offering accessibility certifications for years, and newer organizations specializing in this field, like the Living in Place Institute, are emerging. Knowledge of this field is required for architectural and design professionals, especially since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990.
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Universal design can also be luxurious.
New Bathroom Idea Book/Design by Bonnie J. Lewis//Photo: Marlon DeCastro
Manufacturers Meet The Challenge
What is new is the level of style in the accessible offerings widely available now. Major manufacturers are offering an increasing array of products that accommodate universal design needs with popular looks, saving homeowners and designers from having to scour specialty catalogues that meet physical, but not aesthetic, needs. These include cabinet manufacturers like Kraftmaid and Wellborn featuring full suites of accessible cabinets, comfort height toilets from just about every plumbing brand, and attractive grab bars and shower seats that coordinate with their other products from brands like Moen, American Standard, Jaclo and Kohler. There are also luxury bars from specialty brands like Great Grabz, Promenaid and Ponte Giulio, which just brought Italian flair to the category at the 2019 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.
Technology Helps
Voice control and smart home systems are also helpful to clients with physical issues. Being able to adjust the thermostat for someone who is vision-impaired or adjust the blinds on a window mounted high on a wall for someone in a wheelchair can be difficult tasks. Technology simplifies them for these users and others.
So someone facing physical challenges in living alone no longer needs to be technologically- or style-challenged.