| Buying a new home? If you are having it custom built, you can order all the universal design features you want and most builders will comply.
But if you buy an existing new home, such features will be minimal. Builders are including wider doors on first0floor bathrooms as required but the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Some, like David Zuckerman of Zuckerman Homes in Coral Springs, include built-in benches in the showers in most of the homes he and his brothers build.
While architects and designers have been following the regulations of the ADA, “most builders haven’t thought about it,” says Lourdes Solera, president of the Miami chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
“Builders don’t always use architects,” she says. “If they consulted with an architect, they would be made aware of the needs of an aging population. Both builders and architects have to convince buyers that universal design features are important.”
- If you are buying a home in which you plan to grow older, here are some things to look for:
- Is the entrance easily accessible? Could it be modified for wheelchair use in the future?
- Are the rooms all one level to avoid transition problems in the future?
- Is the first-floor bathroom door wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or someone using a walker?
- Are bathroom floor surfaces nonskid?
- Does the kitchen have adequate aisle space to accommodate someone using a wheelchair or walker?
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