|
Getting comfortable with
universal design
The next time you go shopping at a big box store, take a second to notice those automatic doors. As they let numerous people in and out of the store, many may not realize that universal design is behind a lot of changes in our community.
Universal design is part of everyday living and it is visible throughout our lives, even if we know it or not. It is a concept that provides solutions for accessibility for everyone, not just people in wheelchairs.
“There are many changes, most of which people often don’t know about,” said Laurie Ringaert, a recognized leader with over 30 years experience in the field of accessibility, inclusive communities and universal design. “It’s [universal design] things like a public washroom in an airport. It’s easier to access when you’ve got a stroller, if you’ve got suitcases or if you’re in a wheelchair. It’s just easier for everyone.”
With the principles of universal design accepted in many public buildings and in communities, one area that has been still lacking has been in housing. Making a house visitable for anyone and everyone, despite age or abilities, is an area being looked at by the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies.
“We can get around the public environment well, but housing has hardly been looked at,” states Ringaert, who co-led the Understanding Status of Visitability in Canada project.
“A visitable house is one that has a no-step entrance, wider doors on the main floor and an accessible washroom on the main floor. The house is more functional and usable for families, as well as our aging population.”
A visitable home doesn’t offer total access, but it allows people with varying abilities to enter the main floor with easy access to a washroom. The concept of visitable housing in North America began in the 1980s, and has initiatives in the US, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Here in British Columbia, more communities are adopting visitable housing as part of their building requirements. In Saanich, for example, the local council passed a zoning bylaw that requires most newly-constructed apartment buildings and seniors’ facilities to be built with basic adaptable standards. These standards include barrier-free access to all suites and amenity areas, wider doorways, maneuvering room at suite entries and corridors, access to a main-floor bathroom and reinforced bathroom walls.
As with universal design, the visitable house means that homes are accessible to everyone, not just to able-bodied individuals. It allows people with physical limitations to visit friends and family and to continue to live in their
home community.
BACK TO INDEX >>
|
