Collection Development "Universal Design": Design for Everyone

As the first wave of baby boomers hits their “golden years,” there is a growing demand for housing that meets their changing physical needs. According to the U.S. Census, by the year 2020 over 20 percent of the U.S. population will be over age 65. A 2005 survey of its Maryland members conducted by AARP finds that 84 percent of respondents wanted to stay in their own homes for the long term. If you add the number of people disabled by injury or disease who require accessible, or barrier-free, homes, the need for changes in housing design is even greater.

What are the physical challenges that the older and disabled population face in a traditional home? Wheelchair users often find they cannot get into a bathroom because the doorway is too narrow. Or they get stuck in the bathroom for hours because there isn't enough space to turn the wheelchair around or exit. In addition, light switches, thermostats, and door locks may be unreachable from a wheelchair. Adding grab bars in a bathroom seems simple enough, but walls typically must be reinforced to handle the extra weight and give proper support. Installing door levers could improve the life of an arthritis suffer who finds turning doorknobs difficult.

Before homeowners can modify their houses or apartments to adapt to present or future physical needs, they must first understand the key design terminology involved. “Handicapped accessible,” “barrier free,” and “universal design” are often used interchangeably but are really very different. Knowing the distinctions is key to determining one's housing needs and clearly communicating with architects, contractors, and local housing authorities.

The first two terms deal with the issue of access as it specifically relates to the disabled. Symbolized by the blue-and-white wheelchair logo called the International Symbol of Access (ISA) and often loosely defined, handicapped accessible design can mean everything from minimal ramps and wider doorways to fully accessible bathrooms with roll-in showers.

If the ISA symbol is displayed on a building, there must be at least one accessible entrance and an accessible route to the building's internal spaces. However, the building's purpose, its age, and updated regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 indicate whether other accessible provisions must be made. For instance, a barrier-free apartment built in the late 1980s or early 1990s might only feature wider doorways, a ramp in front of the building, and a parking space marked with the ISA symbol. These were the minimal recommendations required by law when the ADA was passed. But new construction must comply with stricter ADA Standards for Accessible Design (www.ada.gov/stdspdf.htm), as published in Title III regulations that the Justice Department issued as part of the Code of Federal Regulations, July 1, 1994. Thus, you will more likely find in newer buildings roll-in showers, grab bars, and lowered peep holes.

Barrier-free design basically means removing architectural barriers such as stairs or curbs to accommodate people with disabilities, and ADA accessibility standards include barrier-free design. But as the late Ronald Mace, founder of the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University and the “father of UD,” stressed in a 1998 speech entitled “Designing for the 21st Century” (http://ronmacespeech.notlong.com), universal design (UD) is not mandated by ADA regulations.

Instead, UD takes barrier-free design to a whole new level by applying it to all people, not just the disabled. The concept assumes that we will all have some sort of disability at some stage of our lives. True universal design aims to make living spaces and other environments usable to anyone at any age and physical ability and allows people to “age in place” in their homes throughout their lifetime.

Homeowners have so much to consider when UD or even basic accessibility is a goal. A project as simple as building a ramp can become more complicated than expected because achieving the correct slope is essential. Many projects, such as knocking out walls to widen doors and hallways, or remodeling a bathroom to install a roll-in shower, sometimes involve more work and skill than a do-it-yourselfer can achieve without the help of a professional contractor. In addition, any remodeling or construction of a single-family home must comply with state and local building codes, while multifamily dwellings (i.e., apartments) and commercial and public buildings are subject to federal housing and ADA laws to prevent discrimination.

The following bibliography focuses on resources that draw on UD principles for building and remodeling interior and exterior living spaces. When the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines (http://hudguidelines.notlong.com) were updated in 1991, publishers like McGraw-Hill and John Wiley released a number of useful titles. Unfortunately, publishing on this topic has since been sporadic. Titles tend to go out of print quickly and are rarely reprinted, so don't be too quick to weed in this area.

A few out-of-print (o.p.) books are worth hanging onto if they are already in your collection: The Accessible Home: Updating Your Home for Changing Physical Needs (Creative Pub. Intl. 2003. ISBN 978-1-58923-061-3); Mary Jo Peterson's Universal Kitchen and Bathroom Planning: Design That Adapts to People (McGraw-Hill. 1999. ISBN 978-0-07-049980-5; LJ 2/1/00); and Joann Woy's Accessible Gardening: Tips & Techniques for Seniors & the Disabled (Stackpole. 1997. ISBN 978-0-8117-2652-8). Or consider ordering them from an o.p. supplier. However, there is a vast amount of up-to-date information available online, and a number of web sites are listed here.

Starred [*] titles are considered core acquisitions for any collection.