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Housing
For Providers
Accessibility Standards for Private Developers
When talking about housing or features in housing intended for use by people with disabilities and others, the terms accessible, adaptable and universal are often used – and misused. The terms are not interchangeable.
Explanations provided by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University:
Accessible Design: Accessible generally means that the dwelling meets prescribed requirements for accessible housing. Mandatory requirements for accessible housing vary widely and are found in state, local, and model building codes, in agency regulations such as in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s program 202 and 811, and Section 504. They are also found in standards such as the American National Standards Institute’s A117.1 (ANSI A117.1-1986) and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).
Accessible features in dwellings include items such as wide doors, sufficient clear floor space for wheelchairs, lower countertop segments, lever and loop type handles on hardware, seats at bathing fixtures, grab bars in bathrooms, knee space under sinks and counters, audible and visual signals, switches and controls in easily reached locations, entrance free of steps and stairs, and an accessible route throughout the house. Most “accessible” features are permanently fixed in place and noticeable.
Adaptable Design: Adaptable features are either adjustable or capable of being easily and immediately added or removed to “adapt” the unit to individual needs or preferences.
An adaptable dwelling unit has many of the accessible features that a fixed accessible unit has but allows some items to be omitted or concealed until needed. In an adaptable dwelling, wide doors, no steps, knee spaces, control and switch locations, grab bar reinforcing and other access features must be built in. Grab bars, however, can be omitted and installed when needed. Because the necessary blocking is already provided, the bars can simply be screwed in place without opening the existing walls to install reinforcement. Knee spaces can be concealed by installing a removable base cabinet that can be unscrewed from adjacent cabinets and slipped out when needed or by installing self-storing cabinet doors that fold and slide back. Counter tops and closet rods can be placed on adjustable supports. Standards for adaptable design have been incorporated into both ANSI and UFAS. These standards specify adaptability criteria which can provide a level of full accessibility when adjustments are made.
Universal Design: Universal design is a simple concept, but one that requires a fundamental shift in thinking. The intent of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications and the built environment usable by as many people as possible. It incorporates the characteristics necessary for people with physical limitations into the design of common products and building spaces, thereby making them easier and safer for everyone to use and more widely marketable and profitable.
Items that are usable by most people regardless of their level of ability or disability can be considered universally usable. For example, round door knobs are not usable by people with limited use of their hands, but lever handles which are readily available in all price ranges, styles and colors are usable by almost everyone, including people who have no hands. Some items are made more universally usable by their placement (e.g., light switches and bathtub controls). Some features are made more universally usable by making them adjustable (e.g., closet rods, shelves and countertops). Some universally usable items must be selected (e.g., duel height water cooler with both standard and lower spouts and controls and landscape design with alternative paths free of steps and stairs).
Universal design requires an understanding and consideration of the broad range of human abilities throughout the life span. Creative application of that knowledge results in products, buildings and facilities that are usable by most people regardless of their level of ability or disability.