Accessible housing planning
Introduction
Accessible housing refers to the construction or modification (for example, through renovation) of housing to allow independent living for people with disabilities. Accessibility is achieved through architecture, but also by integrating modified furniture, shelves and cabinets, or even electronic devices into the home that make it accessible.
Canada
In Canada, Flexhousing is a concept that encourages homeowners to make renovations that modify their home over time to meet changing accessibility needs. The concept supports the goals of allowing "homeowners to occupy a home for longer periods of time, perhaps throughout their lives, while adapting to changing circumstances and meeting a wide range of needs"; Universal Housing in the United States and Lifetime Homes in the United Kingdom are similar concepts.[1].
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom applies the most widespread home access application to date. In 1999, Parliament passed Section M, an amendment to residential building regulations requiring basic access in all new homes,[2] but even so, in a survey by YouGov in 2019, only 21% of respondents said that a wheelchair user could reasonably access all areas of their home.[3].
USA
In the United States, the 1988 Fair Housing Act Amendments added people with disabilities, as well as their familial status, to the classes already protected by law against discrimination (race, color, gender, religion, creed, and national origin). Among the protections for people with disabilities in the 1988 Amendments are seven construction requirements for all multifamily buildings of more than four units first occupied after March 13, 1991. These seven requirements are as follows:[4].
Access is usually defined within the limits of what a person seated in a wheelchair can achieve with arm movement alone, with minimal movement of the legs and torso. Lighting and thermostat controls should not be overhead and outlets should not be below the reach of a person in a wheelchair.
Sinks and kitchen areas should generally be designed without cabinets underneath, to allow the wheelchair user's legs to roll underneath, and countertops can be reduced in height to accommodate a user sitting rather than standing. In some cases, two food preparation areas can be combined into a single kitchen to allow for both standing and wheelchair users.