Making Life Healthier for Everyone through Universal Design Author: Susan Mack The original definition of Universal Design (UD) by the late Ron Mace states: "Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without need for adaptation or specialized design." "The intent of Universal Design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal Design benefits people of all ages and abilities." Copyright 1997 North Carolina State University, The Center for Universal Design. There are over two million new homes built a year in the United States. Unfortunately, only a handful of these homes are even slightly adequate to meet the needs of seniors, families with children with developmental disabilities, and adults with disabilities. Many developers perceive UD as something only beneficial for people with disabilities, too expensive, and not marketable to the general public. Unfortunately, there are several misperceptions about UD that limit the incorporation of UD into mainstream housing communities. The following paragraphs elaborate on the Universal Benefits of Universal Design to explain how ALL people would benefit from having universal design incorporated into mainstream housing. Universal Design is Preventative Architecture which strives to enhance safety by reducing hazards. Replacing steps and raised thresholds with sloped walkways and low, flat-topped door and shower thresholds reduces trip hazards. Selecting slip resistant flooring and showers with grab bars reduces risk of slip fall injuries. Falls in and around the home are a leading cause of injury related deaths in people over the age of 65. Fall prevention is a priority in health promotion throughout the country. Half of the people over 65 who are hospitalized for a fall related injury/fracture do not return to independent living. In 1994, the direct medical costs for fall related injuries of people over 65 in the USA were $20.2 billion. This is projected to increase to $32.4 billion by 2020. Those figures are only for the direct medical costs and do not include the dollar values of lost wages for those who stayed home to provide care to the injured persons. With the burgeoning population of seniors, all housing needs to enhance safety and health by reducing unnecessary risks of injury. Universal Design is Ergonomic Design which enhances comfort by reducing the repetitive stress on the back and joints. We implement strategies to reduce repetitive stress to workers in offices and factories. Why don't we apply the same strategies to reducing the stress to homeowners who are working within their homes? Man invented the wheel to reduce the need to carry heavy items and people. Having wheel-friendly homes allows us to use wheels to move our groceries, furniture, babies, and luggage. Having lever door handles makes it easier to open doors when we are bringing in the groceries and reduces the stress to the joints in the hands. Designing a multistory home to have a walk- in closet stacked above another walk-in pantry downstairs allows for the future installation of an elevator is so desired. Flexibility of design is a key element of universal design. Universal Design is Work Efficiency Design which enhances convenience by creating an efficient flow of work and allows for work to be performed while seated. Work efficiency in the home is as important as in the work place. We all want to manage those daily tasks efficiently so that we have the time and energy remaining to participate in other social and productive activities. People who have heart, respiratory, and other chronic health conditions benefit from the incorporation of the work efficient principles of universal design. Universal Design is Inclusive Design which enhances social inclusion by allowing us to accommodate all of our friends and family members in family gatherings regardless of their age or disabilities. As one of my friends has said, "I may be disabled in a medical sense but I am handicapped by the environment that is not universally designed". No one should be discriminated against because he has difficulty navigating unnecessary barriers. No one should be put at risk of injuries because of unnecessary hazards. People are diverse in their abilities. Our abilities are on a continuum of change throughout our lives. We need to have homes that accommodate our diverse and changing abilities rather than allow inadequate design to compromise our quality of life. It may be a matter of just a few "inches to independence". Builders who incorporate UD into their home designs increase the number of people who can buy their homes and therefore increase their profits. With the implementation of the Olmstead Decision, more people with special needs are in need of suitable housing. Universal Design is life span design /transgenerational design/multigenerational design. Call it what you like, the goal is the same! Universal Design creates homes that give people the freedom of choice of where they want to live. Most people prefer to be in the comfort of their own homes and want to stay there. Universal Design supports this new concept of "Aging in Place". Traditionally designed homes do not accommodate us as our physical abilities change. Chronic health conditions effect how people function and the environment affects the performance of activities of daily living for all people. UD homes enhance usability of our homes for our children as well as our grandparents. Many families now have at least three generations sharing the same home. A team approach is most effective in creating the best results. Architects, engineers, land planners, interior designers, subcontractors and occupational therapists all bring their own unique professional skills to the design process to create the best communities and homes that support safety, health, independence, social / community participation, and caregiving in the home. When the principles of universal design are incorporated into the original planning, the cost is not exorbitant. It costs only around ten dollars more per door to install 36" wide doors into new construction. It could cost at least $1,000. per door to widen existing doors. Some UD builders are reporting that the added cost of a wider door is offset by the use of less drywall. If more houses were built with 36" wide doors and they became the standard, the cost difference may cease to exist. A no-step porch may be less expensive than the cost of framing for steps. Designing a sloped walkway and using dirt to build up the ground to porch level does not cost a lot if the engineer starts his grading plan with the universal design concept of no-step entries in his mind. Building a ramp later is more expensive and less attractive. The basic structural universal design features may cost as little as $2,000. per home. What is important is that designers incorporate the universal design principles into their floor plans to create no-step entries and to provide the proper amount of space in each living area to best accommodate the performance of activities of daily living. Over the lifetime of the home, the added expense of the universal design features would be miniscule considering the benefits to the residents. Most homebuyers would not hesitate to pay a little more for a home that would enhance their safety, health, convenience, independence, and freedom of choice if they were aware of the benefits. The total cost of the universal features would be less than one month in an assisted living facility. Considering the changing demographics in the USA, we cannot afford NOT to incorporate universal design into new home designs. We need to stress the cost efficiency of keeping people healthy and independent in their own homes and avoiding institutional care whenever possible. Some people have expressed concern that UD features will be institutional looking and not marketable. Well done universal design is not apparent. Putting the reinforcement into the walls during construction for future installation of grab bars when and if needed is invisible. Wider doorways and hallways create homes that feel more spacious. UD homes do not need to be bigger; they just have to have the space allocated more appropriately to support ease of use by people who may need to use mobility equipment. When exploring the impact of land use, transportation, and the built environment on community health, universal design must be an essential element. Continued construction of homes with unnecessary barriers and hazards cannot be considered "Smart Growth". For additional information: The Center for Universal Design North Carolina State University http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud Center for Inclusive Design & Environmental Access (IDEA) SUNY- Buffalo (State University of New York - Buffalo) http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/~idea An Information Resource Provided by: SPH Planning and Consulting Ltd. www.sph-planning-consulting.ca