Barry R Seeger, BE PhD ATP

There is a major problem in access to all private homes. It is not surprising that some areas of our world have become accessible more quickly than others. What is surprising is how far private housing is lagging behind the access we now expect in public buildings and in every other design. There is great irony in private housing being the last area to adopt Universal Design principles, since an American architect, Ronald Mace, is the person who first coined the term Universal Design.

Visitable houses aim to ensure that all people who use wheelchairs are able to visit their family and friends in their homes, or "get in and pee" as some have described it. This is the most basic form of access. Some developed countries are now requiring new homes to be visitable.

The term adaptable house is used to describe a structure that can be modified at minimum cost to suit the changing needs of individuals over time. Adaptable features can be adjusted in a short space of time without involving changes to structural or finish materials. An Adaptable house also includes all the features of a Visitable House.

The Concrete Change website shows several case studies that illustrate the various problems experienced by people with mobility impairments in inaccessible housing.

Some people will argue that too much needs to be done to make an average home visitable. That’s false. What is true is that visitability requires one accessible entrance, doorways and hallways wide enough for a person in a wheelchair, ground floor access to a toilet, accessible light and power switches and power outlets and lever door handles, not round knobs, and reinforced bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab-rails if required.

Making all homes accessible may be too expensive: is the cost of access too high?

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that building accessible houses may turn out to be cheaper. In new construction, the total added cost is variously estimated at between zero and one percent of the construction cost. In contrast, the cost of modifying homes to be accessible after they are constructed is extremely expensive. Community benefit studies have revealed substantial positive financial benefits for inclusion of adaptable features in all housing. These benefits include reduction in subsidies for later adaptations, reduced demand for structured residential care, particularly among the elderly, reduced government administration costs, savings in home care and health care costs and reduced rehousing costs.

Enforcement of access would be difficult and expensive.

No. Every carport and garage has a no-step entrance, so it’s not technically difficult to provide level access with good drainage. Checking for compliance is simple, because the presence of the no step entrance and the width of an interior door are readily apparent. These items can very simply be added to Building Codes.

My home is my castle: don’t tell me what to do, or how to build it.

Home construction is already regulated for safety and for the public good. Access requirements would add convenience for everyone without detracting from the aesthetics or adding significant cost. The discrimination inherent in building codes that fail to cater for a person in a wheelchair needs to be removed.

Access means unsightly ramps: people don’t like the look of access: it’s not aesthetic. Unsightly ramps are the result of retrospectively providing access to inaccessible buildings. Well-planned access is integrated into the home and landscape design and is unnoticeable or an attractive asset.

The market will decide if access is needed: when people ask for access, builders will build it. The people who most urgently need access features often have their need emerge suddenly, after an illness or injury, and are in no position to advocate for their needs. And we are not just building for today’s market. Homes that are built today are most likely to still be in use in 50 years. But in 50 years, 26% of the population in developed countries will be aged over 65. Inferior design in today’s homes will add significant costs to future home-owners.

Any industry will need to be convinced of the need for change, but once members of the public understand the need for access and how easy and inexpensive it is to build, they will realise that it makes sense for all people. Our population includes a constantly growing proportion of older people, so the balance will eventually shift in favour of providing better access. Access will one day become a selling feature.

Where are various developed countries now in realizing the goal of accessible housing? Australia has had Adaptable Housing Standard AS4299 since 1995, but unfortunately it’s not called up in any legislation, so it’s ignored in private housing, although some government-built housing now incorporates adaptable housing principles.

In Canada, the national building code mainly references commercial buildings. Provinces govern private housing, and both Standards and legislation to enforce them are lacking.

In The Netherlands, adaptable housing requirements have been included in the national building code since 1997.

In Northern Ireland: Lifetime Homes have been adopted in the social housing sector since 1998. A recent study published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation recommends that the same standards be extended to the private sector, and that costs could be recouped in 3-10 years.

In Sweden: since 1995 requirements apply to all housing work including renovations and alterations, to ensure that dwellings are accessible to people with physical disabilities, people with visual &/or hearing impairments and those who become easily confused.

We need to recognize that everyone benefits from housing design that is more accessible:

In particular, what are the benefits in expanding the stock of accessible housing for people who use a wheelchair? We can reverse the legacy of discrimination against people with disabilities in housing, which is the last area to harbour discrimination. Homes built in future could welcome guests who have mobility impairments. Occupants could remain in their home when a family member develops a disability, since visitable homes provide easier access for everyone, and adaptable homes incorporate features that may be required as the needs of the occupants change. All residents will find it easier to bring in baby strollers, grocery carts, heavy furniture Visitable homes reduce falls among older persons.

• Use a builder who is willing to include visitability
• Discuss housing access: make it an issue: download this presentation and use it
• Encourage people who have a disability to expect better access to houses
• Support training of advocates to help them campaign for the right to access homes
• Encourage anyone who expects to become old to start campaigning for better houses now
• Support training of real estate agents so they will better understand access requirements
• Partner with the building industry to foster their appreciation of access
• Influence political, technical or administrative decision-makers
• Protest publicly at housing developments that continue to ignore accessibility
• Lobby for state or provincial laws or city or county ordinances that would require all new houses in your area to have basic access
• Press for enforcement of existing laws and policies requiring private houses to be accessible
• Develop technical standards for visitable and adaptable housing
• Develop international standards, and most importantly,
• Develop a personal commitment to inclusion by each one of us

1. This presentation is available in Powerpoint format at www.cca.org.au/UDhousing

2. Center for Universal Design, North Carolina http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/

3. Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access: The IDEA Center http://www.ap.bufallo.edu/~idea/

4. National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modifications http://www.homemods.org/

5. Concrete Change: An international effort to make all homes visitable! http://www.concretechange.home.mindspring.com

6. Special Needs Housing http://www.accesshousing.com

7. Frisch J. Offsetting the Additional Cost of Living Due to Disability http://members.optushome.com.au/jackfrisch

8. Housing for Life: Designed for Everybody, free booklet, Master Builders Association of the ACT, 2001.

9. Smart housing in Queensland http://www.public- housing.qld.gov.au/org/audience/content/smart_hsing.htm

10. Australian Standard AS4299-1995 Adaptable Housing http://www.standards.com.au

11. Seeger B, Garrett R. Universal access needs to encompass private as well as public buildings, Engineers Australia July 2001, pp 28-32.

12. Universal Housing Design, Dept of Housing, Queensland Govt http://www.smarthousing.qld.gov.au

13. Opportunity of a Lifetime, Professional Remodeler, Oct 2001, pp. 54-60, http://www.housingzone.com

14. Reconstructing Fair Housing: NCD Evaluates HUD’s enforcement of Fair Housing Laws, Nov 6 2001, www.ncd.gov/newsroom

15. Frieden L. Toward a Barrier Free World for All, International Rehabilitation Review 51(1), Aug 2001

18. Flexhousing, Homes that adapt to life’s changes, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, http://www.cmch-schl.gc.ca

19. Shamberg S, Shamberg A. From the Ground Up: Building an Accessible Home, TeamRehab Report, April 1996, pp 16-22

20. O’Brien P, Blythe A, McDaid S. Lifetime Homes in Northern Ireland, http://www.jrf.org.uk 2002.