Accessible vs. Adaptable Units: Understanding the Crucial Difference
Adaptable… accessible… these are terms that refer to features in spaces intended for use by people with disabilities. While these terms are often misunderstood or used interchangeably, each has its own meaning with subtle but crucial differences. Let’s look at the definitions of both to gain a better understanding of what both terms entail.
Accessible Design
‘Accessibility’ refers to features that meet the prescribed requirements for accessible spaces. These mandatory requirements can vary significantly according to the local, state, and model building codes or in-agency regulations, such as the Fair Housing Amendments Act or Department of Housing and Urban Development act’s requirements. They’re also found in the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and the American National Standards Institute’s A117.1, 1998.
Accessible features include items such as lower countertop segments, wider doors, sufficient empty floor space to accommodate wheelchairs, loop and lever type handles on hardware, bathing seat fixtures, control and switches in easily reachable locations, accessible routes throughout the property, and more. It’s important to note that ‘accessible’ features are very apparent and typically permanently fixed in place.
Adaptable Design
Grab bars in restrooms, knee spaces under contour and sinks, etc., are some of the most common accessibility features. For many people, these features are not essential, and they might dislike the appearance or reduction in the available base cabinet space. Although a certain number of accessible dwelling units are required to be placed as per the law, they’re intended to be used by everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Therefore, adaptable design involves features that are adjustable or can be immediately and conveniently removed or added to ‘adapt’ a unit to individual preferences or needs. Adaptable dwelling units have all accessible features that a typical fixed accessible unit may have, but they allow some items to be concealed or omitted for those looking to achieve the look that better matches the preferences or needs of the person who occupied the space.
Adaptable spaces must have wider doors, grab bar reinforcing, no steps, switch and control locations, knee spaces, and other accessibility features built-in. But in a way that allows grab bars to be installed or omitted when needed. The necessary blocking needs to be provided so that the individual can simply screw the bars in place without opening existing walls to reinforce them. In the same way, it allows the knee spaces to be concealed by installing removable base cabinets. But it’s important to choose ones that can be unscrewed quickly or slipped out when needed. UFAS and ANSI specify adaptable design criteria and standards to ensure the provision of a certain level of required accessibility when adjustments are made.
If you’re looking for ADA compliant contractors or wheelchair accessibility designers to make home modifications for seniors or build a house for people with disabilities from scratch, get in touch with access specialists at Access Built.
Our team adheres to all rules set by the ADA design guide for wheelchair accessible housing to make all the necessary home modifications for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Book a free consultation with our accessible home renovation contractors to learn more about building safer places for people with disabilities before you get started.
