Universal Housing Design – Why?

1. Universal Housing Design – Why? • Increase safety. • Meet the needs of people across a range of abilities and ages. • Be economically adaptable to the changing needs of people over time. • Achieve a design that works for the person rather than the person fitting into the design. • Ensure useability and aesthetics are mutually compatible. • Achieve wider market appeal and higher resale value. • Be suitable for people with temporary disabilities or injuries. • Allow people with disabilities or frail older people to visit. 9. Provide people with the choice to remain in their home.

2. ANUHD ANUHD believes universal housing design will contribute to inclusive and sustainable communities by: • meeting the housing needs of people of every age and ability, so they may participate in their community throughout their life; • allowing for a diverse range of households to occupy a dwelling cost-effectively and equitably over its lifetime; • providing for people to visit and stay in others’ homes for an extended period at short notice; • providing a place in which it is safe both to live and to work; and • ensuring usability and aesthetics are mutually compatible and achieve broad market appeal.

3. Universal Housing Design With widespread adoption of universal housing design ANUHD anticipates significant cost benefits to governments and individuals through: • Fewer injuries by older people and young children; • Less demand on institutional care arrangements for older people and people with a disability, because they can stay in their own home longer; • More appropriate and efficient use of acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities; • Safer work environments for both paid and unpaid care-givers; and • Less demand for home modifications, assistive equipment and paid assistance for daily living tasks.

4. What is UHD? • There is a clearly discernable accessible path of travel from the front boundary or car park and throughout the entry level of the dwelling. • The entry level has a living and food preparation area, bathroom, WC and bedroom, all of which can be used by a person in a wheelchair. • All rooms, when furnished or fitted out, allow for adequate circulation space for a person using a wheelchair. • All doorways and corridors are wide enough to allow a person using a wheelchair to manoeuvre into and out of rooms.

5. What is UHD? • Door furniture, switches, controls and outlets are within reach of and can be used by all. • There is potential for future adaptation to a dwelling with two or more levels for vertical access by a person using a wheelchair. • Walls and ceilings are reinforced where assistive devices may be attached.

6. Who Benefits? • Families who work from home, have multiple activities within the home environment, or who have changing family membership. • Family and friends of older people and people with a disability • Domestic workers • Formal and informal carers of older people and people with a disability • People who are pregnant, with young children or who are temporarily injured or ill

7. Other Issues! • The needs of people change throughout their time in a dwelling. • While some of these changes are expected (pregnancy, small children) many are not (injury, illness). Injury, illness or acquired disability is not planned and rarely anticipated. Housing adaptations typically occur under stress with little time to plan for good financial outcomes. • A dwelling has many occupants throughout its lifetime. • Poor housing design affects not only the first people who live (work and visit) in the dwelling but all people who follow throughout the life of the building. 1..

8. Benefit to Government • Fewer injuries to older people and young children • Less demand on institutional care arrangements for older people and people with a disability, because they can stay in their own home longer. • More appropriate and efficient use of acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. • Safer work environments for both paid and unpaid care-givers • Less demand for home modifications, assistive equipment and paid assistance for daily living tasks. 1..

9. Benefit to Community • People will maintain their community networks and relationships. • Communities will be enriched by the presence of older people and people with a disability. 1..

10. Possible change strategies • Legislation • Incentives • Education and awareness • Market forces 1..

11. Do Nothing? • Continued isolation and segregation of and unnecessary health risks to people with a disability and seniors. • Avoidable increase in health, housing and welfare budgets to support older people and people with a disability in specialised environments or unnecessary stays in acute hospitals. • Restrictions on cost effective strategies involving home-based care due to inappropriate workplace conditions in inaccessible housing. 1..

12. Do Nothing? • Governments’ programs to assist people to age in place, to strengthen families, and to encourage people with a disability to be included in community life will be contingent on the availability of universally designed housing. • Without universally designed housing, people with a disability and older people will be further disadvantaged by being needlessly separated from their family and friends when they are at the most vulnerable time of their life. • Without the essential element of universal design, the triple bottom line of social, financial and environmental sustainability will not be met. 1..