Personal Design vs Universal Design

One of the things I've observed is that with all the attention on Universal Design there is becoming a certain dogmatic stance in some areas or by some people. Sometimes we seem to forget that UD is a set of seven principles to help guide decision making, not an enforceable code. When you are dealing with residential housing and a person's living space, universality can take a back seat to something tailored to the individual. We aren't talking about public buildings here, rather individual living spaces. Here are a few examples from work we did this summer.

• The aging-in-place bias in redoing a bathroom for a senior would be to expand the shower and make it zero threshold in the event that a wheelchair is in their future. But we had two customers (both smaller women) who really wanted smaller showers--they felt more secure and stable in the small shower, the walls providing an envelope that makes it easier for them to maintain their balance. The new showers will accommodate a small shower chair if needed in the future, so there is that provision for flexibility. But never will a wheelchair be practical in the bathroom (in one of the homes, a wheelchair will never be practical anywhere.) So, while this might not live up to UD principles of equitable use or size and space for approach and use, for these particular homeowners it was the right design for now.

• We like wall ovens over ranges--less bending and lifting, easier to see into. Separate cook tops allow for storing pots and pans where they are needed or even the ability to sit and cook. But for one customer, the wall often was wasted space that was better put to storage. So, the wall oven came out and the oven cavity was fitted with pull-outs. Separate cabinets were modified for a freestanding range. This resulted in an overall more functional design for the customer, even though we had to go with a less UD appliance. Sometimes the practical issue is how and where to apply the UD principles. In remodeling, there are typically trade-offs.

• Split level counters are seen as a good idea to accommodate people of different heights or who need to sit. They find their way into a lot of kitchen designs these days. But for someone with a severe visual impairment, misjudging where one height ends and the other begins can result in spills and broken dishes. A common height counter, or one where the height differences are in distinctly different areas of the workspace, is the better solution for the individual.

Don't get me wrong, the attention on UD is great. Even in these designs, we employed UD principles where we could--lever handles, hand showers on glide bars in the shower, grab bars instead of towel bars that offer no support if grabbed, materials and designs that provide visual cuing, task lighting, storage that minimizes reaching, etc. But let's remember that it is a set of principles to help shape a design, not a set of routine solutions. Often in residential remodeling the design dictates are very personal.

Beware the easy fix for increased lighting

One of the common issues we experience as we age is that we need more light to see clearly--especially the print of important things like medicine bottles, food packages, and, in my case, the daily crossword puzzle. The best way to get this additional lighting varies by what we need it for and by the condition of our eyes. But one solution that is never a good one is to shove higher wattage bulbs into fixtures that are not rated for them. Doing this can cause burns and fires.

I say this and many people scoff--what can be the harm of a brighter light bulb? Mountain out of a mole hill, they say. Well, witness this customer we helped out last week who called to have some water damage around a light fixture repaired. When our handyman got there, he found not water damage but heat damage. The owner had installed 100 watt bulbs in a closed fixture rated for 60 watt bulbs. Not only was the ceiling scorched and discolored, but the plastic junction box and wires were "crispy." The potential for a fire was very real.

Just a reminder that if more light is in your future, upgrade your fixtures to handle it. Also, consider putting them on dimmers so that you don't waste the wattage when you don't need it.