Here at Give Housing a Voice, all sorts of housing concerns and issues are expected to hit the radar screen. This week, our friends at the Resource Center for Accessible Living reminded us that it’s not just about affordable housing – but also about accessible housing! Fran Wishnick writes this week about the importance of “visitability” as an issue in housing.

Visitability is a movement to change home construction practices so that new homes built with public funds offer a few specific features that make the home easier for people with mobility impairments to live in and visit. The spirit of visitability is the belief that it is unacceptable that new homes continue to be built with gross barriers to entry and movement, given the ease of building basic access into the majority of new homes and the harsh effects major barriers have on people’s lives, including physically unsafe conditions, social isolation and unwanted institutionalization.

Basic visitability features include:

• One entrance with zero steps on an accessible route – at the front, back, side or through the garage
• All main-floor interior passage doors with 32” of clear opening to allow unobstructed passage space (36” of clear opening is preferred)
• A main-floor bathroom with enough maneuvering space for a wheelchair

Additional visitability features include:

• Space available on the main floor for possible use as a bedroom
• Re-enforced walls in the bathroom for future installation of grab bars
• Electrical outlets and environmental controls within reachable locations

Visitable homes benefit everyone! They accommodate changing needs throughout a lifetime and create more welcoming, stable, less transient communities. For more information, contact the Resource Center for Accessible Living at 331-0541.

Makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

Thanks Fran!