This morning as I left my house, arms loaded with books, camera, and coffee mug, I had to use my knee to kick up the door handle so I could get out the front door. Thank goodness for the levered door handle.
I had accidentally discovered that handy device while remodeling. I preferred it so much over the conventional round doorknob that I installed them on all our doors.
According to Cathy Learoyd, owner of Wynsong Home Designs, I had discovered one example of universal design, which she defines as “trying to make living easier for everyone.”
She also calls it preparing your home for independent living, which happens to be the title of a course she teaches in Club Ed.
“Throughout the life of a house, the residents are going to have all phases of life in that house,” said Learoyd, who holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT and is working on her Masters degree in Architecture. “At some point someone will break leg, or be in a wheel chair or walker. We ask the question: how do you set up your house to make things easier?”
When asked, 95% of people want to retire and live in their own home. Universal design is all about preparing your home so you don’t have to go to a retirement facility.
Modifications can be small - like replacing doorknobs - or major. Learoyd gave the example of buying an appliance.
“Buying a refrigerator is a 20-year commitment,” she noted. “So if you bought one in your late 50s, you will have that into your 70s and 80s.”
She recommends a side-by-side or one with the freezer on the bottom. “A large percentage of women in their 80s cannot reach above their shoulders. That is a very common condition, and a freezer on top is very hard to reach.”
Another concept in universal design is maintaining an accessible path through the house. As our mobility becomes limited, we need to be able to walk without tripping over wires or dodging furniture. Learoyd noted that doorways and halls must be wide enough for a wheelchair or for a caretaker to walk beside you.
The side effects of aging are not just physical. Universal design considers diminished perception and mental capacities.
Learoyd recommends using changes of texture in floor coverings to help guide someone from bedroom to bathroom. Contrasting colors on walls, counters, steps, and floors provide cues for those with diminishing eyesight.
Learoyd also talks about the Optimal Reach Zone.
“Our best reach is from 22 to 44 inches above the floor. So you want most of everything you reach in the course of a typical day within that zone.”
In a typical kitchen, that means raising the dishwasher a bit, lowering some countertops, adjusting pantry shelves, and installing innovative storage such as pull-down shelves and pull-out cabinets.
Not all modifications need to be expensive or major. Learoyd suggests replacing handles on cupboards, keeping a rolling cart in the kitchen to carry heavy dishes, placing nightlights in bathrooms and halls, and using simple toilet roll holders that don’t need to be spring loaded.
Nor do you have to sacrifice function for design.
“People have the concept that it’s all ugly stuff, but it’s gorgeous now.”
Universal design even extends outdoors, where gardeners can continue their hobby using raised flower and vegetable beds.
The fact is, the first of the baby boomers turn 65 this year. They all want to continue living independently, or as Learoyd calls it, “aging in place.”
“The first reaction is that you don’t want to think about it,” she said. “Because this is going to make me feel old. But when they come to my class, they realize it is beautiful, that I can do this, it doesn’t have to cost me money, and why hasn’t anyone told me this before?”
“I think it is an incredibly important thing. I really feel passionate about it. That’s why I’m doing it. People need to know this stuff.”
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Preparing Your Home for Independent Living meets Wed, Oct 13. For information or to sign up, click www.clubed.net, or call 830-895-4386.
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