Comments on: Explore Aging in Place at the ‘Smart House’ Exhibition http://www.hermanmiller.com/discover/explore-aging-in-place-at-the-%e2%80%98smart-house%e2%80%99-exhibition/ Discover Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:03:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: San Diego Office Furniture http://www.hermanmiller.com/discover/explore-aging-in-place-at-the-%e2%80%98smart-house%e2%80%99-exhibition/comment-page-1/#comment-950 San Diego Office Furniture Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:39:13 +0000 http://www.hermanmiller.com/discover/?p=9047#comment-950 This is actually a good argument for making all new home construction incorporate universal design as a matter of course. Imagine a builder creating a subdivision and putting in ramps instead of front steps for all the houses. If that feature was designed in from the beginning, it probably wouldn't be any more expensive than steps. Ramps are easier for everyone to use and would make it so much simpler for homeowners to age in place. Once it became the status quo, it would look completely normal for all the houses on a block to look that way. This wouldn't take away a homeowner's ability to put in steps if that's really the look they prefer. But why not start from an accessible place and let people make changes from there? Just my two cents. Daisy McCarty <a href="http://www.sandiegocubicles.com/blog/" rel="nofollow">San Diego Office Furniture</a> This is actually a good argument for making all new home construction incorporate universal design as a matter of course. Imagine a builder creating a subdivision and putting in ramps instead of front steps for all the houses. If that feature was designed in from the beginning, it probably wouldn’t be any more expensive than steps.

Ramps are easier for everyone to use and would make it so much simpler for homeowners to age in place. Once it became the status quo, it would look completely normal for all the houses on a block to look that way. This wouldn’t take away a homeowner’s ability to put in steps if that’s really the look they prefer. But why not start from an accessible place and let people make changes from there?

Just my two cents.

Daisy McCarty
San Diego Office Furniture

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