Home Barrier-Free Home
Originally published in Arthritis Today

By Beth Blaney

What The Experts Say
Whether you walk slowly with a cane or scamper around your house, you can benefit from accessible features, says Martin Legault, president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Independent Living, a nonprofit housing developer located in Wethersfield, Conn. For example, something as simple as levered faucets not only make life easier for a person whose hands are affected by arthritis, but also for a mother who's trying to start dinner while holding a child in one arm, he says. Legault believes the basic elements of accessible design will soon become standard features in new homes or the renovation of existing homes.

The challenge is trying to incorporate accessible features as subtly as possible, says Linda Watson, an interior designer in Duluth, Ga., who specializes in barrier-free environments that promote independent living for seniors and people with special needs. "If grab bars must be installed in the bathroom or modifications need to be made to the shower, it's important that they look home-like, rather than something you'd find in a hospital room," she says. (See "Select an Accessibility-Savvy Contractor")

Designers agree that a homeowner's dignity has to be considered when building a barrier-free house or renovating an existing living space. If the final outcome is an attractive yet seemingly ordinary home, then the job was done correctly, says Watson.

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