Last Updated on February 18, 2021 by Showrooms Online
HomeAccessibility, Makes Life Easier
Home accessibility makes life easier.
An accessible home starts with a universal design . Universal design focuses on making the house safe and accessible for everyone, regardless of age or physical ability.
The immediate image of home accessibility is one of wheel chair ramps and shower grab bars. Universal design is much more than that.
An accessible home works for everyone regardless of age, health or physical ability.
Image by Christian Northe from Pixabay
It’s no surprise that aging in place design has become a hot topic as of late. The aging population in North America is on the rise, with seniors in Canada projected to increase from 4.5 million to 9.8 million between 2005 and 2036, and seniors in the U.S. projected to reach 98 million by 2060
Full-featured 2020 Design Live
Universal Design
Accessibility makes life easier. Design for accessibility.
Universal design starts with an awareness of the scope of all the issues. Best practices are involved in making the environment accessible for everyone regardless of their capabilities.
What is Universal Design?
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the Government of Canada in 2010. The CRPD clearly outlines the responsibility of countries to engage in research and development of Universal Design principles and application of these principles to maximize inclusion of all including people with disabilities.
The Universal Design Network of Canada is a federally registered non profit organization designed to promote Universal Design through education, research, and displays of best practices and policies.
There are guiding principles that apply to universal design. Our future series of articles will cover various aspects of universal design in detail.
Smart Homes
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
A homeowner does not need to be disabled or suffering from chronic illness to be able to make life easier by installing smart home features. Internet connected systems can control heating systems and in fact make home heating more economical. Lighting control devices can add to security and also make a home safer. Detail blogs about smart home products will be linked to this main summary blog.
Aging in Place, Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is essential because you do not know how your needs might change. Maybe you don’t need help right now, but …
There are lots of resources to be taken advantage of to plan for aging in place. National Institute on Aging
Keep coming back here for informative posts related to all of the above features of accessible living. A place to start is right here
