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 Better by Design »What is universal design?Universal design is a building approach in which structures are made to be usable by as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability or situation. Healthier lifestyles and modern medicine have stretched the lifespan of most Americans. Furthermore, low-income homeowners are much more likely to have multi-generational families living under one roof. These trends underscore the need to build universally, and similarly to green building, recent advances in this sector make universal design possible at little to no extra cost.
The need to make Habitat homes universalSimilar to green building, universal design has yet to become commonplace in Habitat homes because of the need to keep costs low and construction facile. Often times, homes are only built universally if the homebuyer is physically disabled. However, building all homes universally leads to several added benefits. First, it ensures that homebuyers who are not physically disabled now will be protected if they become physically disabled in the future. Second, Habitat for Humanity builds communities, not houses. Universally designed houses allow for accessability and visitiability: two features which are vital to building communities.
2009 Accessibility GrantsFor the third year in a row, Habitat for Humanity Virginia has received a generous grant from the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) to support universal design in Habitat homes throughout the commonwealth. We have several $1000 grants available for affiliates who build a home to EasyLiving Home certification standards. A packet of information was emailed to each affiliate in March 2009, and the documents from that mailing are below: Click here for the Introduction Letter Click here for the Accessibility Grant Applicaiton Click here for the Accessibility Grant Terms of Use Click here for OPTIONAL Accessibility Features
More useful information on universal designBelow are links to several presentations or documents with photos and detailed information about various aspects of Universal Design: Click here to see the document "The Concept of Universal Design". Click here to see a presenation handout about "EasyLiving Home & Habitat for Humanity". (The power point presentation is quite large, so this handout was created from the presentation.)
Click here for a presentation handout about "Creating Attractive, Low Cost, Zero Step Entrances". Click here to find links and more information about "ADA Thresholds". Click here for a document about "Creating Stepless Entrances in Multi-Family Housing". Below are website links to organizations and resources with more information about Universal Design: Easty Living Homes in Virginia |
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