Accessible House Plans?

[mtblujeans]

DH & I might be in a position to build a house after our last DS leaves for college. We have both agreed that we want to build something with one floor and as assessable as we can make it. We plan to be in this house for the rest of our lives and we want the doors and bathrooms big enough for wheel chairs, etc.

Where does one go to find accessible building plans? TIA

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Hi and to disABILITIES!

Here is a link to ADA Guidelines for construction.

When my house was built there was some accessibility because it was in a 55+ community and others that we had added when the house was built.

For the basics, it is all on one level and there are no doorsills inside the house. All the light switches are rockers and all the door handles are levers. It is only about one inch up from the garage into the house itself so it would be no problem for a chair.

What we added in the design was: All interior doors, including closets, are 36 inches wide. There is a slope up to the front door so there is no step. The toilets are 17 inches high instead of the standard 13, and ovals. There are grab bars next to all the toilets, except in one of the bathrooms where there is a vanity on one side and a tub on the other. The master bath does not have a tub, but has an oversize shower (not fully roll-in;, but there is a sill so the main bathroom floor is about one inch higher than the shower stall floor) with multiple faucets and a built-in tile bench across the width of the shower stall.

What we did not get was lower countertops; they are all standard height and there is no rolling capability underneath any of them. If I ever get to a situation where I need a wheelchair to get around the house at that time I probably will get the counters and cabinets changed.

I hope this information helps.

 

[mtblujeans]

This is exactly what I was looking for! We figured, too, that countertops could start out as normal and be retro-fitted at a later date, when we know better what we might need.

Thanks so much!

 

[SueM in MN]

Rather than trying to build an accessible home, what you may want to look into is called "Universal Design", which strives to make things (not just housing) accessible to everyone as much as possible without needing adaptation.Universal Design looks at more than the ADA guidelines and includes things like maintenance, usability for others, etc.

The Universal Design Alliance has a nice website with some links related to home design.
AARP also has a good page about Universal Design and another 'buzz phrase', "aging in place."

If you do an internet search for Universal Home Design, you will find a lot of links; many of them have house plans or lists of suggestions for Universal Design.
Another phrase to search for is Adaptable Home Design. You will find a lot of links and plans under that term too. Those houses have been planned so that handicap access can be added later. That's kind of the idea that Cheshire Figment talked about regarding adding a roll under sink if needed later. Look carefully though because some of them may be defining "Adaptable" as meaning you could use a room as a nursery at first, then adapt it to a child's room and later, a rec room or office.

 

[mtblujeans]

Excellent! Thank you!

There is good information out there...if you are guided in the right direction!

 

[SueM in MN]

Excellent! Thank you!

There is good information out there...if you are guided in the right direction!

The internet can be a source of good information or a source of confusion, depending on exactly where you are looking.

 

[bookwormde]

Most of my work has been in commercial projects, but ADA guidelines are a good starting point if the primary concern is mobility. If fine motor skills become an issue, lever handles on doors and valves are a good idea as is lowering the switch levels to 36” and raising some of the receptacles to 30”. The kitchen is more of an issue since you need the counters at a standard 36” now but lower later. Using office height cabinetry and setting it up on a kick platform would allow you to reset them when the need arises. A roll in pantry is also a great thing since top cabinets become problematic. You also want to set the kitchen up so this sink base is removable. Roll in showers and setting blocking for future grab bars is important, I recommend wrapping the interior of the primary bathroom with a good grade of ¾ plywood except for the door wall. Hallway width is also important (48” minimum) as is door swing direction. There are lost of other gadgets that can be helpful but are very dependent on the nature and extent of the disability. I would also suggest installing a fire sprinkler system since evacuation can take more time.

bookwormde

 

[videogal1]

This is exactly what I was looking for! We figured, too, that countertops could start out as normal and be retro-fitted at a later date, when we know better what we might need.

Thanks so much!

Think about how you would prefer to move around the kitchen...what side of the refrigerator is the handiest for loading onto or from counters, where do you put the hot food you just baked in the oven, how do you work at the sink so that the trash is easily tossed into the wastebasket without having to cross your workspace. What kind of surface would you prefer to fall down on, what kind of surface is the most resistant to damage from mobility devices or shedding service dogs...
I designed and built my accessible passive solar home in 1984 and have made changes and improvements over the years as my needs changed. Some things I would have done differently as part of the original design but are too expensive to change now.

 

[mtblujeans]

Thank you for all this help!

 

[barkley]

you might want to consider doing things that could adapt to whatever your assessability needs may be at a given point in time.

there was a community near where we lived in northern california that was HUGE with retirees, and some of the builders there had moved towards construction that while it followed the general assessability guidelines (one story, wide hallways and turning access into rooms....) had special features that could be utilized for differing needs of the residents depending on their disabilities and the potential for changes within mobility/accessability of a disabled person.

by this i mean-they used a small hydraulic system for the bathroom and kitchen cabinets so they could be adjusted up higher if a person had back or neck issues that would be aided by a higher counter/sink. the counters could be adjusted to accommodate the height level of someone in a wheelchair or in a scooter but could at the touch of a button be adjusted back up for a person needed standard height (an issue wherein one spouse has differing needs from the other). flooring was done such that there were little or no differences in height. this assisted with individuals with walking issues as well those in walkers, wheelchairs, etc (eliminates the difficulty some people encounter with the ridge that can occur between tile or hardwoods and carpet). deadbolts on doors were done at a lower level (right by the door knob) so they were in easy reach, windows were chosen that had the locking mechanisms on the sides down near the bottem. laundry rooms were boosted in size and had a hydraulic counter with no cabinets underneath to provide a folding and ironing surface that a wheelchair user could access (and the outlet was installed withing easy sitting reach of the counter). bathtubs were done in such a way that they had a platform that could assist person to move from a chair with ease (and some options included the type that has a door cutout that can be used). of course larger showers with no step up necessity, and the controls lowered. walk in closets were larger and designed such that there were lower racks available should the need exist, standard closets used pocket doors or folding doors.

i think consideration in this type of endeavor needs to be made to how one's needs may change-and the fact that with some disabilities you can find your needs changing back and forth. consideration also needs to be given to whomever will be living in the house and the potential that while one may find a need for assessability the other may not-and if a permanant change is made (such as with lower cabinets and such) it can be detrimental in the long run to the health (esp. in the back) of a non disabled person using it.

 

[mtblujeans]

....i think consideration in this type of endeavor needs to be made to how one's needs may change-and the fact that with some disabilities you can find your needs changing back and forth. consideration also needs to be given to whomever will be living in the house and the potential that while one may find a need for assessability the other may not-and if a permanant change is made (such as with lower cabinets and such) it can be detrimental in the long run to the health (esp. in the back) of a non disabled person using it.

It's interesting you make this point! I have a bad neck and back and, right now, higher kitchen counters have been very helpful. But, if I or DH were to use a wheel chair, that would (of course) change. Very, very helpful information, folks!

 

[ToriLammy]

We just finished our house (Jul 08) and because our daughter is in a wheelchair we have many of the features listed here (higher toilets, larger hallways and doors). We have stained concrete floors throughout also. It has made a world of difference for her. Our builder was a great guy who never said "I can't do that" but rather "what a cool idea" or "let's make it work." He'd never built a handicap accessible house before but I have a feeling more of his houses will include features we added to ours simply because they "make sense." Good luck with your plans and building.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

Thank you for the ideas!!