Accessible Housing Features

Housing accessibility features are essential for people of all ages. The latest statistics indicate that everyone will be disabled at some time during their life. If you have having a home built it would be wise to incorporate accessible housing features during the building process. When you are purchasing or renting a home look for accessibility features.

Home entrance: Does the home have stairs or does an inclined walk access it? If there are stairs, is there a railing that extends beyond the stairs at both the top and the bottom? Do the doors have knobs or levers? Are there steps from the house to the garage or is there an inclined walk from the house to the garage?

Interior accessible features: Is there a bedroom and bath on the first floor? Are all doorways at least 32" wide? Do doors have levers instead of knobs? Are the rooms and baths large enough to negotiate with a wheelchair or walker? If there are multiple floors are the stairways wide enough to put a riding chair on them? Is the laundry on the main floor? Are the dials and instructions on appliances easy to read? Are the electrical outlets and switches easy to reach by someone in a wheelchair?

If you are having modifications made to your home be sure the person/company doing them knows the Americans With Disability Act recommendations for those modifications.

If you need to make modifications to your home or add equipment that will assist and individual with mobility/functioning within the home contact your health insurance to see if they would cover all or part of the cost of those modifications.

For more information on accessible housing go to: www.aarp.org