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Make Your New Home Mobility-Friendly
from:If you are about to build a new home, chances are you're focused
on how you want everything to look, what features you need, and
any safety concerns that may come up if you have children or
pets. One thing that you may not have thought about is whether
or not you should make your home accessible to people with
disabilities.
If no one in your family has mobility issues, you've probably
never thought about adapting your home so that it is
disability-friendly. But what if you or a loved one has an
accident, or your aging parents are no longer able to get around
without a wheelchair? Will your home be as inviting as it once
was?
"Visitability" is the name of a movement that has been gaining
ground in the U.S. since 1986, when Eleanor Smith started an
organization devoted to making all newly built homes accessible
to those with disabilities. The concept is very simple; it calls
for all new houses to have at least one entrance that doesn't
require a stairway, interior doors that are wide enough to
accommodate wheelchairs (approximately 32 inches in width), and
a bathroom on the main floor that has enough room for a
wheelchair or other mobility device.
While you may not be disabled yourself, you might have family or
friends who have difficulty climbing stairs, or rely on the use
of a wheelchair. Public buildings are required to have certain
features in order to make them accessible to all users, but on a
national level there are currently no regulations that require
private homes to be accessible as well. The goal of the
visitability movement is to reduce isolation for those whose
mobility is restricted.
Imagine being in a wheelchair, perhaps even temporarily, and you
are invited to a party at a friend's house. Getting from the
curb and through the front door is your first hurdle. If there
are stairs to climb, you have to rely on others to lift you and
your wheelchair into the house. If no one is around to help, you
can't get in.
Once inside, you want to head from the living room to the
kitchen to say hello to friends. Unless the doorways are at
least 32 inches wide, you will likely not fit through the
opening, and are stuck where you are.
Going to the bathroom presents another challenge for you. If
there is no washroom on the main floor, you will have to recruit
others to carry you there. Secondly, the door needs to be wide
enough for you to get through. Thirdly, the bathroom itself must
be wide enough for you to maneuver yourself to the toilet, and
to close the door behind you.
As you can imagine, visiting an inaccessible home can be very
stressful and humiliating. Many people with mobility issues miss
out on gatherings with loved ones because the homes they're
going to cannot satisfy their most basic needs: the ability to
get in and out of the house, and access to a usable washroom.
Not all people who need these features are permanently disabled.
People have car accidents every day and break legs or hips, or
require a wheelchair after surgery. Aging can also create issues
for a person who used to be quite active. Balance can be thrown
off easily, and older bodies are often stiff and achy, which
makes it difficult to climb stairs.
Even if you aren't disabled right now, there is always the
possibility. You may need your home to be more accommodating to
your own needs, or to those of friends and family. Fortunately,
the costs involved with building a Visitable house are quite
low. If you make the specifications before construction, these
adjustments can be made for a very low amount of money. This is
a wise investment, as renovating your home to include ramps or
stair elevators can be very costly once the home has been fully
constructed.
It is also a wise real estate investment, as the Baby Boomer
generation is entering their senior years. There is a huge
market out there for older adults, so by having these simple and
affordable modifications already in place, buyers will look to
purchase your home before the competition.
About the author: Joshua Keen
For great information on the Atlanta Georgia real estate market and for incredible Atlanta MLS search listings, visit RealSourceBrokers.com.
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