Esther Greenhouse, an aging in place specialist and environmental gerontologist at Cornell University, tells us why lever handles are winning as universal design gains ground.

Esther Greenhouse, certified aging in place specialist and environmental gerontologist, discusses how universal design may already be in place in our home.

The Universal Design Living Laboratory, a home designed to demonstrate the power of universal design, is half-way to completion, the organization announced yesterday.

The home is the brainchild of Rosemarie Rossetti, whose lower body was paralyzed after an accident. According to the group’s statement:

Life in a wheelchair inspired her to build home based on the concept of universal design, which makes a facility’s level of livability beneficial to the widest possible range of people in the widest range of situations without special or separate design. The home will be able to accommodate people of all sizes, ages and abilities.

The demonstration home project includes windows donated by Marvin Windows and Doors. You can see photos of the project’s construction phase on the UDLL Web site.

Consider these findings from a recent study of older Americans (age 55 and up) by the Mature Market Institute:

• Nearly two-thirds (63%) plan to stay in their current home as long as they can. That number rises to 78 percent for those aged 75 and older
• Eight in 10 prefer a single-story home to a two-story or split-level, with 75 percent preferring to have the master bedroom on the main floor
• Windows that open easily rank among the top features that consumers said would help them remain in their homes longer, with 81 percent of consumers citing them as important. Other key desired features include a washer/dryer (90%), ample storage space (84%), and an easily operated thermostat (73%)
• Energy efficiency also ranked high on the list of desired features, with 73 percent of consumers saying that features such as windows with low-emissivity glass and EnergyStar-rated appliances are important to them

Those findings highlight why more than 80 percent of the builders surveyed in the same study indicated that they included Universal Design features in their 55+ community homes.

These features include:

• Wider doors and hallways
• Lever door handles
• Lower kitchen cabinets
• Larger medicine cabinets
• Attached garages with garage door openers
• Non-slip floors
• Larger medicine cabinets
• Easy opening windows

Recent census data shows that more than 29% of Americans aged 64 and over suffer some form of physical disability that makes it difficult for them to climb stairs, open doors and windows, or use a historically designed bathroom. That number reinforces the need for Universal Design when it comes to home building and remodeling for an aging – yet still independent – population.

Marvin Windows and Doors is responding to the growing need for Universal Design with products like:

• The Ultimate Casement line of windows, which swivel 140 degrees in “wash mode” to allow owners to wash the outside of the window from inside the house
• The Ultimate Push Out Casement, with wash mode plus the added ease of a simple push to open – no crank to turn
• The Low Profile, High Performance Sill – fits flush to the floor for easy access to patios and decks
• Unsurpassed hardware that makes opening even the largest windows a breeze

For more information on Universal Design, visit the Center for Universal Design