Aging populations in industrialized countries are forcing architects, designers, and urban planners to consider the needs of the elderly and the disabled.
 | Automatic doors that can be operated by the push of an easily accessible button improve the quality of life for disabled people (Photo: Shutterstock) |
For around 650 million handicapped people worldwide, a normal home is not a safe haven, but a gauntlet of dangerous edges and impossible-to-navigate angles. Constructing buildings and public places without these obstacles is a huge challenge. Barrier-free living for people with physical disabilities, also known as universal design, is now an even more pressing priority because of aging societies in Europe and Asia.
As many of today’s elderly want to remain in their homes and “age in place” many private buildings are in need of a makeover. Floor surfaces of all rooms, for example, should be flush with one another to reduce the risk of tripping. Hallways and doorways have to be wide enough for wheelchairs, while gently sloping ramps should replace stairs. Bathrooms and kitchens for wheelchair users need lowered light switches, door handles, and other fixtures.
In the average house, wheelchair users often get stuck trying to do everyday tasks. Barrier-free kitchens with adequate clearance below the cooking area and sinks help them cook and clean. In bathrooms, ‘step-in’ shower-tubs, an insurmountable obstacle, can be replaced with low-profile or ground-siphon alternatives. Bathtubs and toilets with lifting systems and space for wheelchairs offer even more convenient solutions.
The list of possible disabilities is endless, as is the list of features necessary to barrier-free living. A one-size-fits-all solution is impossible, as the disability and its severity differ from person to person.
 | Picture Gallery (click on the image to begin)See some of the tools and features that can help improve the lives of people living with disabilities (Photo: Shutterstock) |
People with reduced manual dexterity can live pretty independently if taps, knobs, and appliances are oversized, easy to manipulate or controlled by electronics. For severely disabled people, computers and remote-control systems can adjust lighting, heating, and other functions according to time, season, and preference.
Do it right from the start
To avoid costly refurbishments, some governments and urban planners have started to incorporate similar features in new developments so that houses do not require modifications later on.
The Japanese government issued its “Design Guidelines of Dwellings for the Ageing Society”, recommending that all new dwellings be designed with level floors, handrails, and wider doors and corridors. These are compulsory for new public housing, while developers applying these guidelines qualify for low-interest loans.
Finland offers similar subsidies for new barrier-free housing construction. Since the mid-1990s, the Marjala neighborhood in the city of Joensuu has been developed with dwellings, shared facilities, streets, sidewalks, squares, and parks accessible to all. A computerized multi-service channel connects residents to doctors. The community even offers telecommuting opportunities for city employees.
To enable people to move freely beyond their neighborhood, Finland has pioneered the Demand Responsive Transportation System (DRTS), now in use in over half of all Finnish municipalities. This flexible public system combines taxis, buses and trains to provide transport on demand for the elderly or disabled.
Finland might be a benchmark example, but with only five million inhabitants, it is just a drop in the ocean. The real challenge will be catering for the hundreds of millions of disabled people in developing countries that do not yet benefit from any assistance whatsoever.
editor: James Tulloch
publishing date: August 5, 2008
