Accessibility. For many Americans, the word has taken on a distinct meaning since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1992.
Under the law, all businesses must make “readily achievable modifications to provide access to persons with disabilities.” But the drive for accessibility, has also brought about interest in adaptability. Increasingly, a large number of products have entered the marketplace that can be used by both people with disabilities and older adults to make their homes easier to get around in.
According to Terri Worman, consumer representative for the Midwest region of the American Association of Retired Persons, the manufacturing industry has begun to catch on to the fact that there’s a growing market for these products.
“Nowadays, you can get products, such as grab bars, for instance, that come in designer colors like mauve or bone. They don’t make it look so institutional. There’s not that stainless-steel stuff all over the place, that for most people pretty much screams, `I’m a frail person,’ instead of that they’re a smart person who is trying to stay in their home longer.”
One study by AARP showed that more than half of older Americans had modified their homes as a way to keep from moving. These modifications were as simple as installing additional lighting, grab bars and lever faucets in place of knobs. In fact, many larger hardware stores now carry products to make your home easier to get around in.
Dr. Thomas Buford, information coordinator for the Center for Assistive Technology at the University of Buffalo (New York), says that while assistive technologies have been embraced very quickly by people with disabilities, a large portion of older adults are resistant to new technologies.
“Among some older adults, the mind-set is that the limitations that they’re experiencing are the result of aging and there’s nothing that can be done about it.”
Buford points out that the term “assistive technology” can apply to a broad range of products–from canes, of which there are more than 200 kinds on the market, to very sophisticated computer-based environmental control systems.
“The No. 1 request that we get is for devices for recreation. Devices for sewing, reading, getting around for a walk. The second-largest request is for devices to assist daily living, such as cooking, dressing themselves, bathing and toileting. The third level of concern is over mobility.”
What follows is a quick tour of a home and a few suggestions on how to make it more livable. Most of the products mentioned can be purchased for $50 or less.
– Kitchen: According to Worman, the kitchen is one of the places that people don’t think much about when making changes in the home. For people with vision problems, track lighting or small fluorescent lamps placed in work areas can make it easier to see. Not only should all faucets have lever handles, but a sprayer should be installed. That way, rather than placing a big stew pot at the bottom of the sink, you can leave the pot on the countertop, fill it with water and put it on the stove, thus saving the effort of lifting it out of the bottom of the sink.
Another modification is placing C- or D-shaped handles, which are easier to grasp, on cabinets and drawers. Pullout shelves can also be helpful for people with a limited range of motion.
– Bathroom. This is where people are at risk for falls, so grab bars are essential, either around the toilet or in the shower. Some of the newer grab bars don’t even have to be attached to the walls but can be placed on the bathtub itself through the use of a vise grip. If you have trouble moving around in the shower or tub, consider a portable shower chair.
And to protect yourself from getting scalded by hot water, there are scald-control devices that actually prevent water temperature from getting too high. Or you can just have your water heater turned down: they’re often set at the 140-degree range, but bringing it down to 120 is hot enough for most people but doesn’t allow the scalding that can happen at the higher temperature.
– Floors and lighting. For older adults, lighting should be consistent from room to room, because as we grow older, we tend not to adapt as quickly to light and dark. Countertops should be non-glare, especially if you’re dealing with glaucoma or cataracts. For people in wheelchairs, make sure that rugs are tacked down and that the floor is even. If there’s a molding along the threshold, putting a color coding on it will help you remember that there’s a change in the level of the floor.
When thinking about what changes to make in your home, you might want to have an occupational therapist look at your home. One can be contacted through your physician or a local home-health agency.
Project LINK (800-628-2281) is a free service established by The Center for Assistive Technology at the University of Buffalo that helps people learn about assistive devices and where to find them. Consumers answer a brief list of questions on what conditions they suffer from and which activities are difficult for them to perform. The service then mails them catalogs and brochures on where to find the products that will suit their needs. All information is anonymous to the suppliers, so consumers don’t have to worry about being solicited.
If you’re looking to modify your house, call the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and ask for the names of professionals who specialize in accessible housing. A large number of local suppliers can be found in the Yellow Pages under “Hospital Equipment and Supplies.”
There are also brochures, guides and pamphlets available to help consumers with choosing the right home accessibility products.
Among them are “The Do-Able Renewable Home,” a 44-page manual on retrofitting a house for an older person with physical limitations that’s free from the AARP Fulfillment Center EEO1011, 601 E St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20049.; and the Directory of Accessible Building Products 1996 (71 pages, $4), a compendium of household items for people with disabilities that is available from the National Association of Home Builders’ Research Center, 400 Prince George’s Blvd., Upper Marlboro, Md. 20774.
