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Housing Accessibility

General Accessibility

Making Homes Accessible: Assistive Technology and Home Modifications:

This resource guide produced by the RESNA Technical Assistance Project provides information about assistive technology and home modifications. The guide covers definitions; laws and guidelines; initiatives from the Assistive Technology Act grantees; advocacy, financing, modification, and research resources; accreditations; online courses; and a bibliography.

 

Universal Design

Universal Design is the art of creating environments that are attractive and user friendly for people of all ages and abilities.

Links to more information about universal design:

  • Zero Step: The purpose of the Zero Step program is to provide consumers with information about a home design concept known as universal design.
  • Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA) at Buffalo: The IDEA Center is dedicated to improving the design of environments and products by making them more usable, safer and appealing to people with a wide range of abilities throughout their life spans.
  • Center of Design for an Aging Society: Designing Homes for the Second Half of Life
  • Center for Universal Design is a national information, technical assistance, and research center that evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in housing, commercial and public facilities, outdoor environments, and products.
   

Visit-ability

Also known as Inclusive Home Design, visit-ability includes:

  • A focus on homes, not government buildings, restaurants, etc...(important as they are)
  • ALL homes-- not just "special" homes; being at the party, the meeting, the reunion--not isolation.
  • Narrowing the emphasis from a long list of possible or desirable access features to the most essential features: entering a home and fitting through the interior doors. So that widespread construction change is more likely to happen quickly.

These features minimally include:

  • One zero-step entrance.
  • All main floor interior doors--including bathrooms-- with 32 inches of clear passage space.
  • At least a half bath, preferably a full bath, on the main floor.

Michigan Enacts First State Inclusive Home Design Legislation

On June 6, 2006, the hard work of Michigan advocates paid off as Michigan enacted the Inclusive Home Design Act, Act No. 182. The act was introduced by Introduced by Reps. Wenke and Miller. Representative Wenke received the "Corrie Bair Building Inclusive Communities Award" from the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition in recognition of his advocacy for passage of this act.

Web Resources:

   

Vendors and Products

The following resources are for vendors/products to help make a home accessible. While these have been suggested to us, we haven't checked on the companies or products and are not making recommendations or endorsements of any kind. Have a product or service to add? Let us know! (See the Housing Home page for contact information.)