Excerpt from: NorthJersey.com (click for full article)
Even if you're able-bodied, architect Deborah Pierce says it's smart
to make your home easier to use in case of disability, so you're not
forced into a sudden move after an illness or injury.
"It can happen to anybody at any time," says Pierce,
author of the new book "The Accessible Home" (The Taunton Press,
$27.95). And if you think planning for disability is a depressing idea,
Pierce's book shows that accessible homes, if designed correctly, can be
beautiful while preserving their owners' independence.
Pierce, who practices in Newton, Mass., spoke to The Record recently
about designing for limited mobility, as well as other disabilities,
including visual, cognitive and hearing deficits. An edited transcript
of the conversation:
Q. How does accessible design change the lives of people with disabilities?
The disability disappears. If disability means you
don't have the ability to do something — you can't go down the hallway
or get from one room to the next — you now can.
Q. Some of the best examples in your book are
homes where the disabled client worked closely with the architect or
designer, so all the details were really tailored to the person's needs.
But at the same time, it seems a lot of people should think about these
issues before they're needed — especially as they grow older.
There's a case study in the book for young families
thinking about aging. The architect is also the homeowner. He has
stacked rooms that are sized for an elevator to be installed later, if
necessary. In the lower level, it's storage; in the upper level, it's a
reading nook. That's a beautiful solution.
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