A universal design kitchen has most cabinets below the counter, grab bars, and good overhead lighting.

By CAROLYN COOK
Davidson Committee on Aging

Most of us live in “Peter Pan” homes thinking we will never grow old. The sweeping stairs to the front door, the second floor master suite, the basement laundry room, the Jacuzzi, the floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets—all the things we love most about our homes are slowly becoming obstacles in our daily lives.

Studies show that most of us choose to age independently in our homes as long as health allows. We want to remain vibrant in our communities and live in close proximity to family and friends. To age in place successfully, we must look carefully at our homes. Homes are probably the single most expensive investment in our lives, yet they are ill-designed to sustain us when we need them most. As aging adults, we must carefully analyze our present and future needs to determine if, and how, our existing homes can adapt to our changing needs.

Universal Design may well be our solution. Conceived 20 years ago by Ron L. Mace at North Carolina State University, Universal Design is the design of homes, products and communication systems that work for people of all ages and abilities. Simply stated, Universal Design is “good design” and is completely invisible. When referring to homes, Universal Design is also known as Inclusive Design or Aging in Place.

Single-lever faucets, raised washers and dryers, glass-front cabinets and motion-sensor lighting are some of the Universal Design features that are now standard in many homes.

An accessible bathroom can treat the room one continuous wet space. Toilet doubles as a shower seat. Floor finish is high-contrast and non-slip.

The cost of new homes with comprehensive Universal Design features is approximately 4 percent more than conventional homes. The cost of new homes with minimal UD features (zero-step entrance, 32-inch minimum door openings, accessible first floor bathroom) is approximately $600 more than conventional homes. The cost of retrofitting can be minimal. The cost of doing nothing can be enormous.

Here are some examples of Universal Design elements and costs.

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

• Zero-step entrance on concrete slab—add $100.00
• Zero-step entrance over crawl space or basement–add $300-$600
• 34” door—add $2 to the cost of a 32” door

EXISITING HOME RETROFIT

• Add zero-step entrance –$300
• Widen interior doorway—$700 per door ($22 for a swing-away hinge)
• Nursing Home (option no one wants)
• Individual for a year—$70,000 ($192 per day)

Remember that Universal Design homes look like any others—the difference is in functionality and livability. UD features simply provide us with options as we age and enable us to remain in our homes as long as we choose. Little changes can have big effects.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FEATURES

Below is a list of Universal Design features that can be incorporated into any home.

Entrance and Site Design Features

• Level access into home.
• Minimum of one wheelchair accessible no-step entry.
• Entry doors 3’-0” wide.
• Covered entry for inclement weather.
• Motion sensor light at all entries.
• 9’ high garage door—van height option.
• Adequate lighting at the large-and-easy-to-read street address.
• Package bench at front and back entry.
• Door lever handles.
• Peep-hole at seated and standing height.
• Automatic garage door opener.
• Accessible ramp can be located in garage.
• Dual cuing (both visual and audio indicators) for doorbell, security and smoke alarm.
• Easily maintained plantings in yard.

Interior

• 32” minimum clear opening for all passage doors.
• Wider hallways, minimum 42”W.
• 18” minimum provided on pull side of doors.
• Bedroom and accessible bath on first floor.
• Open floor plan for mobility and daylighting.
• Adjustable rods in all closets and half of storage no more than 54” high.
• Glare free floor surfaces and countertops.
• Non-slip floors or low pile carpet with level thresholds.
• Casement windows (easiest to open) instead of double-hung.
• Glass interior doors for better daylighting.
• Handrails on both sides of stairs and extend 18” at top and bottom landings for safety.
• Door lever handles throughout.
• Electrical outlets located 18”, switches 42” and environmental controls 48” above finished floor.
• Lighting and interior finishes reinforce way-finding
• Touch or rocker luminous light switches.
• Programmable thermostat with easy-to-read numerals.
• Wide stairway to accommodate future chair lift.

Kitchen

• Sink has lever handle faucet and basin 6-1/2” deep for easy reaching.
• Clear knee space of 29” minimum allowed at sink for seated person.
• Varying heights of work surfaces for seated or standing use.
• Cooktop with controls up front and open space below for seated person.
• Rolling storage below cooktop.
• Wall oven located beside cooktop, use open space under cooktop for seated person.
• Microwave drawer or locate on counter (never above range).
• Countertops with contrasting beveled edge for vision impairment.
• Accessible electrical outlets on sides of the island and in front of the counters or base cabinets.
• Raised dishwasher for easy reaching.
• Hands-free faucet.
• Glass doors or open shelves in upper cabinets
• Ample, even lighting.
• Under cabinet task lighting (halogen too hot).
• Lighted interior upper cabinets for viewing product.
• Upper cabinets 15” above counter for easy reach. Pull down shelves available for seated person.
• Fewer wall cabinets and more base cabinets with drawers and pullout shelves—easier to reach.
• Fewer wall cabinets allow more windows.
• Drawers with full extension, self-closing hardware and open loop pulls.
• Base cabinets with 9” kick space for wheelchair clearance.
• Large pantry with pullout shelves.
• Window treatments to cover black windows at night and reflect light into kitchen.
• Pullout drawers for waste and recyclables.
• Side-by-side refrigerator (prefer 24” deep).
• Refrigerator drawers.
• Grab bars as dish towel bars.
• Safety shut-offs and dual cuing (where available) on appliances.
• Quiet range hood.
• Electric radiant floor below tile. Lack of moving air can be advantageous for people w/ asthma.
• No suspended pot rack if hearing or visually impaired.

Laundry

• Laundry located on first floor.
• Laundry sink and countertop 34”H with open space below for seated use.
• Front loading/ raised washer and dryer eliminate bending. Front loading machine more energy efficient.

Bathroom

• No-threshold walk-in shower 4’D x 5’-6”W.
• Shower door pivots in both directions.
• Water controls offset toward front of shower opening with an anti-scald/pressure balance control.
• Adjustable handheld shower unit on sliding pole/grab bar.
• Fold-out or built-in shower seat.
• ½” plywood sheet installed around bathtub, toilet and shower for grab bar reinforcement.
• 5-foot wheelchair radius. Allow 3 feet in front and beside toilet for wheelchair transfer.
• Toilets centered 18” from side wall, 19”H.
• Electrical outlet located at toilet for temporary bidet.
• Bathroom door swings out of room.
• Ample, even lighting and ventilation provided.
• Quiet ventilation.
• Sconces with up-lighting on both side of mirror.
• Pullout laundry hamper and waste container in base cabinets.
• Lever-handled faucets (no knobs).
• Heated floor or heat lamp.
• Non-slip floor—small mosaic tile or sheet vinyl.
• Color contrast floor with toilet, walls and countertop for visual impairment.
• Wall and floor finishes should be easily maintained.
• Cantilevered or wall-mounted sink for easy access.
• Color contrast sink with countertop for visual impairment.
• Walk-in or soaking tub.
• Grab bars as towel bars.
• Master vanity with two heights—one 34”H with open knee space for seated user, another 36”H with full-extension hardware.

Security

• Home wired for security.
• Direct wired to police, fire and EMS (as option)
• Flashing porch light and/or 911 switch (nighttime house identification for emergency personnel).

NOTE: This is the second in a planned monthly series of articles prepared by Davidson Committee on Aging on topics of interest to seniors. See all installments in the series, CLICK HERE>

PHOTOS

Download additional photos of design elements cited in this article, courtesy of Carolyn Cook (PDF), CLICK HERE>