Handicap Accessible Building & Remodeling
A
well-designed handicap accessible home takes into consideration
all aspects of the disabled person’s lifestyle, including
such daily activities as exercise regimen, diet, work,
recreational activities, personal hygiene, and routine
bowel and urinary care management. The home also must
operate efficiently for both the disabled person and
others living and working in the home. Good design adds
to your life expectancy, positive mental health and
independence.
We work with draftsmen, architects and contractors at all stages of design and construction.
Our aim is to keep an eye on the big picture
and watch out for you needs. Too often, the
home is built or remodeled to meet minimum ADA guidelines.
ADA compliance is not, and should not be, the goal or
the standard. ADA guidelines, applied without a healthy
dose of practical experience, result in dysfunctional
design. Dysfunctional design creates unnecessary obstacles
that slow you down and create daily frustrations. You
are already slowed down enough by your disability. Why
be further restricted by avoidable design flaws?
Also, the home may be designed by an able-bodied person who misses the practical realities. Architects and designers frequently suggest fancy solutions on paper that are ineffective on a day-to-day basis, resulting, for example, in unnecessary turns and maneuvers to access plumbing, fixtures, light switches, etc. Sometimes a few easy and common sense changes to the layout add greatly to the efficiency of the home.
The home must be built or remodeled to minimize wear and tear on your body. For example, paraplegic individuals stress their shoulders and suffer related injuries as a result of un-ergonomic design in the bath area. People very often try to make the existing baths and showers adequate. Very often, a complete overhaul is required as no amount of modification in the existing bathroom will work.
The Characteristics of Well-Designed Handicapped Accessible Home Are:
- Built over specifications to ensure durability and minimize maintenance
- Accommodate wheelchair use and minimize annoying obstacles that slow navigation throughout the home
- Enhanced bathroom accessibility including the toilet, shower and tub.
- Ergonomically designed to facilitate attendant care and ensure easily accessible supplies and clothes storage
- Integrated, durable, and effective environmental controls, including alternative power sources for life critical conditions (back-up generators, vehicle inverters, solar panels, wind turbines, and deep-cycle batteries)
- Anticipates future health conditions, particularly in the case of progressive neurological diseases.
At Home and Beyond delivers a home impeccably tailored to the disabled person’s current and future needs. We will interview the client to assess the scope of the client’s disability, the layout, age and location of home, and the personal care routine. Based upon the client’s financial needs and requirements, we will evaluate neighborhood housing comparables, and make suggestions that integrate the client’s resale objectives. We then review existing plans and collaborate with the architect and contractor to create new plans or improve upon existing plans.
At Home and Beyond serves as your advocate, interfacing with your contractor, architect and designer to improve the quality and accessibility of your home for yourself and your family. We know what it is like to be disabled and, unlike and an abled-bodied architect or contractor, we always have your perspective in mind.
Handicap Accessible Home Images
Open floor plan accessible kitchen, dining room, living room and adequate hallway space for complete wheelchair access. |
Sidewalk and floor elevation are equal |
Recessed threshold sliding glass door track. |
Spa transfer bench for ADA approved spa. |
 
Shower custom designed to be user friendly for
both user and assistant.
|
Dual Shower controls for added convenience. |
This is an elevated bond beam which not only
adds an esthetic touch to the pool design, but
acts as a safety feature to prevent unforseen
water hazards? |
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