“In plain English, aging-in-place means remaining in one's home safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level. It means the pleasure of living in a familiar environment throughout one's maturing years, and the ability to enjoy the familiar daily rituals and the special events that enrich all our lives. It means the reassurance of being able to call a house a ‘home’ for a lifetime”
—As defined by National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
What is Universal Design
Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. When one considers the safety and convenience of his/her guests in the home, Universal Design becomes an undistinguishable central theme for living. It certainly embraces safety, but more from a convenience standpoint than from a “warning” posture.
—National Association of Home Builders. Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS II). Washington, DC: NAHB, 2007
Ron Mace, founder of The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, coined the term “universal design” to describe the concept of designing products and environments to be attractive and usable by everyone to the greatest extent possible – regardless of age or ability.
James Joseph Pirkl, FIDSA, professor emeritus at Syracuse University and founding director or Transgenerational Design Matters, Inc., points to the universality of the approach: “Transgenerational design accommodates, and appeals to, people of all ages and abilities: the young, the old, the able, the disabled – without penalty to any group. A transgenerational house is a human-centered house. It’s not about building specialized ‘elderly’ housing or just providing ‘adaptive’ products like grab bars, lever door handles, and toilet seat raisers. It is about designing residential environments and household products that accommodate and benefit the widest market segments without penalty to any group.
“In the past, if someone had difficulty living by themselves, it was a signal that now was time to move in with family or go to a nursing home. But, for most people, that no longer is the case. Today, you can live on your own for many years, even as you grow older and start needing help with everyday tasks. This is called “aging in place.”
—As defined by the National Aging-In-Place Council
Universal design doesn’t just make a home livable for wheelchair users or the elderly. It makes life easier for everyone, from the moment they enter your home until they leave. Even if members of your family are perfectly healthy and agile now, a future injury or a more permanent disability can leave them struggling to get around the house. This type of design helps people with temporary or long-term disabilities- from an injured hand to a bad back – enjoy life in their homes.
Healthy, able individuals can also benefit from universal design. Sure, the single-lever faucets recommended for use in kitchens and baths make it easier for people who have limited hand strength or an injury to turn the faucet on and off. But they also help you to easily turn on the water when your hands are dirty and you don’t want to grasp the faucet. Widened doorways allow people who use wheelchairs to travel through the house, but they also make it easier for parents carrying young children around or homeowners loaded down with groceries to enter and move around. You may even have universal design elements in your home right now and not realize it. That’s the key. Good universal design should be virtually invisible.
—Reed Construction, Inc. Universal Design Ideas for Style,
Comfort and Safety. Massachusetts: Construction
Publishers and Consultants, 2007