Working from home has become the “new normal” for many of us during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this clearly has its downsides, one group in particular may benefit a great deal: people with disabilities.
The IDEA center recognizes the tremendous challenges faced by individuals who experience PTSD, particularly active duty soldiers. Our collaboration with Clark Realty Capital on the Wounded Warrior Home Project at Fort Belvoir, VA sought to improve the quality of life for these individuals.
The AAA invited some of the worlds’ foremost design gurus to reimagine the relationship between our older selves and the built environment. Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Professor of Design Royal College of Art, opened the session by pointing out that the majority of older people will not move into specialist housing or retirement villages. Most will be obliged to make do, adapting, and retrofitting their existing properties where possible.
Data from the 2011 American Housing Survey was used to provide estimates of housing units with aging-accessible features, such as handrails or grab bars in the bathroom, a wheelchair-accessible kitchen, a bathroom and bedroom on the first floor, and a step-free entryway into the home.
Airbnb listings aren’t required to comply with the ADA.
As more of the population reaches age 60 or older, some may be planning a move to a retirement community or assisted living. But with the rising cost of housing, many are opting to stay put. It’s called “aging in place.”
As more new senior housing is delivered every year, more evidence piles up that the generation expected to move into it has other ideas.
The design of spaces for people with visual disabilities is an important issue when it comes to talking about accessibility. Architects who adopt the principles of universal design understand that the needs of a blind client are the same as those of all people.
More and more people today are building houses with the idea of aging-in-place. This is not only a consideration for seniors but also for younger people who want to stay put and grow older in the house they are living in.
As Tokyo prepares for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics, accessibility is an area of strong interest to many. Ice sledge hockey player and three-time Paralympian Uehara Daisuke commends the strong emphasis on universal design ahead of the games, but emphasizes that there is much more to be done.