Home Modifications and Products for Safety and Ease of Use
By Johnson, Margo; Duncan, Richard; Gabriel, Andrea; Carter, Michael; Center for Universal Design(Pages: 21) Publication Date: 1999
Booklet discusses home modifications and products that give individuals with disabilities improved access to their environment. Modifications suggested range from simple solutions such as the installment of levered door handles to adding a bathroom and bedroom to the ground floor and include (1) replacing auditory signals such as those of the doorbell or safety alarms with flashing lights to accommodate residents with hearing impairments; (2) the use of heightened illumination of work areas and stairs, glare reduction, and color contrasting for people with low vision; (3) auditory or visual detectors of hazardous gases to alert household members with a reduced sense of smell; (4) making surfaces of walls and counters more textually distinctive, lowering the temperature setting on the water heater, and installing a light-emitting heat indicator on kitchen ranges to protect residents with touch and dexterity impairments; (5) stools or cutout spaces at or under counters and sinks, remote controls for lamps and appliances, C-shaped loop handles on drawers and cabinets, or the addition of a catapult seat for people with reduced strength and range of motion; (6) for those with mobility and agility impairments, an automatic garage-door opener, entrance ramps, widened doorways to accommodate a wheelchair, a roll-in shower, grab bars, and hand rails; (7) skid-proof rug pads, lowered beds, raised chairs, and grab bars to help residents with balance disabilities; and (8) barriers such as fences, screens, and alarms on outside doors to keep individuals with cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease from wandering.
Published by:
Center for Universal Design (Website:http://ncsudesign.org/)
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