A universal design-build project is appealing to all users. When correctly applied, any home area will be accented universally with stylish function and appears virtually invisible. Bathrooms, kitchens, family rooms, and bedrooms will all benefit the homeowner once the principles of Universal Design are applied. Examples of increased usability provided by Universal Design include wider doorways and hallways, enhanced lighting, non-slip flooring, contrasting colors within rooms, more accessible electrical controls and devices, curb-less showers, lever door hardware, more pull-out shelves, and drawers over cabinet doors, varying cabinet top heights, and water faucets and controls operable by a single hand or closed fist. Be advised, Universal design ideas do not strictly deal with accessibility or Aging in Place design. They do not implement precise ADA standards, but offers flexibility to add accessories now and later to those planning or the end user. 

David L. Traut, CAPS (1636580), the president and owner of T-Square Company, is accredited in Universal Design in the United States and Australia and has written many papers on the subject. David not only practices integrating Universal Design in his local design/build projects, but he acts as a consultant directing customers who live out of his service area. He has now published a book covering how Universal Design overcomes today's problematic living situations within traditional homes due to their association with status-quo building concepts. Additionally, Universal Design offers a common-sense gateway for increasing accessibility and adaptability in future homes. T-Square Company in Austin, Texas has been offering design/build accessibility projects to their clients incorporating the principles of Universal Design for over twenty-five years. They specialize in Universal Design Ideas. 

Universal Design construction or inclusive construction is used when a homeowner is smartly preparing for future life changes and want to remain in their existing home. The most significant advantage of using this innovative concept is that it smoothly prepares a home for Aging in Place. By gradually applying elements of Universal Design during periodic home remodeling projects, those specific home areas affected are Age in Place ready without being noticed until needed. The concept provides various human performance characteristics for people using spaces within their homes, including well-integrated usability features. These adaptations have a broad market appeal to everyone for achieving ease of use, safety, and convenience, accommodating an inevitable reality. The effects of a disability, aging and disease are tempered because adaptability is built into the design. The reality is that all people exist along a continuum of human performance as per their traits and characteristics, regardless of their age. A universal approach to design considers that everyone has varying degrees of ability and disability rather than someone who is either fully functional or disabled.

 David L. Traut, CAPS, the owner-president of T-Square Company has published a book entitled "Age in Place at Home :Adapting the Home Environment for All Generations". The book is available through Amazon. This book covers identifying and overcoming common accessibility shortcomings found within a traditional home. Within it's pages, David takes you through a home's interior showing you how and where to apply Universal Design aspects in every room. Since Universal Design seamlessly segues into Aging in Place needs, it is a how-to book worth reading. Incorporating Universal Design principles into your home facilitate future Aging in Place goals, while comfortably addressing the diverse needs of all ages and mobility levels living within your home at any time. This book is a great reference for aging homeowners, parents of special needs children, homeowners moving in their elderly parents, and multi-generational living situations. Always remember, home accessibility is not exclusively age-related, but it must be appropriate for those needing it the most.

Universal Design construction and Aging in Place home modifications are available through T-Square Company in SW Austin, Texas. Each universal design/build project is customized to the homeowner's needs. Call 512-444-0097 today to prepare for the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. T-Square Company will design and build an adapted living environment customized around your abilities. Whether your project concerns home modifications, an accessible addition or wing, or new construction, they can help you increase your accessibility. T-Square Company has over three decades of building and remodeling experience practicing as a disability contractor for people with special needs. They want to help their clients be as self-sufficient and independent as possible by offering handicap accessible floor plans. Let them show you how to increase safety and accessibility within your living environment.

After so long a time of blogging, soap box deliveries, and conversations with customers and other builders concerning the importance of Universal Design in the future of our home building industry, others have listened and agreed. David was humbled to find this article published in the Austin American Statesman. He takes pride in the fact that people are beginning to see the importance of this very forward-thinking design concept because it just makes good sense.  May this article help to propel the needed universal building movement forward.

The trend toward 'universal design' in homes
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 @ 3:57pm
By David Wilfong

Simple adjustments like a sideways opening oven can make life a lot easier for a person in a wheelchair. | Jofre Essley / Flickr

For many years disabled people faced challenges at every corner of public life. Stairs, rough ground, or even just reaching objects on a shelf created obstacles at inopportune times. Then the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) came into play. Wheelchair ramps and handicapped restrooms became commonplace in common spaces, and the result has been an improved quality of life for millions.

Then there’s the subject of home design. Homes have been modified for many years to meet the needs of the disabled, but now there is a new concept of “universal design,” which means homes being built for all needs from the beginning, even if there is not currently a disabled person living there.
“Along with aging in place, universal design is becoming more of a household term,” says T-Square Company (14141 Highway 290 West, Suite 800 in Austin) in is online blog. “Essentially, it’s about building or modifying places and spaces—both public and private—to accommodate people of all ages and abilities. More than just an architectural concept, universal design is a win-win for sandwich generation boomers caring for aging parents and their children at home, for grandparents raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for all who are facing the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other chronic diseases. Whether your family needs the support now or down the road, universal design features are a good long-term investment for the home itself.”

The trend toward 'universal design' in homes
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 @ 3:57pm
By David Wilfong

Perhaps you haven't personally experienced a problematic living situation concerning your home yet, but you might know someone who has. It could concern a family member, a friend, or just a person in your neighborhood. These unfortunate scenarios are too common in our society, as everyone is living longer due to modern medicine; but this situation is not age-related. Health problems can appear unexpectedly at any age. Our traditional homes commonly lack accessibility for any residents or their visitors who are even slightly challenged. The truth is, all of our houses are built for unchallenged, healthy people of a "normal" size. The moment any diversity to what each of us knows as near perfect health expresses itself, the realization we need a better and more adaptable "mousetrap" comes to mind in regards to our home. The doors in the house aren't wide enough, the rooms are too small, the hallway is too narrow, the floors aren't level or are slippery, the stairs aren't negotiable, the bathroom facilities aren't useable, and the kitchen is not user- friendly. The list goes on-and-on when you are living in a status-quo home. But now people can become educated and know what to ask for before a life-changing problem arises. Rest assured, you have the ability to proactively prepare your traditional home for future life changes before they happen. Hence, there is no need for you or your family to suddenly become trapped inside it's walls! Let's come to understand a design solution exists which has been stigmatized because of it's decades-long association with disability. Learn to ask for it by name.

Universal Design, also known as barrier-free design and design for all, refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to non-challenged people, older people, people of any age who are mentally or physically challenged, and people overcoming an illness or physically-altering accident. In general, it represents a universal need in future housing and pertains to adding safety and accessibility in an existing home for all people regardless of their size or physical well being at any time. The purpose of the design is to provide equal access to anyone into and throughout the home. Universal Design adaptations have a broad market appeal to everyone for achieving ease-of-use and convenience accommodating a certain reality. The reality is that all people exist along a continuum of human performance as per their personal traits and characteristics regardless of their age. A universal approach to design takes into account that everyone has varying degrees of ability and disability; rather than someone is either fully-functional or disabled. Universal Design is neither a design style or trend but is an approach to designing home access for as wide a range of diverse people as possible.

As a solution to our inaccessible housing predicament, applying Universal Design is important because current design standards for housing do not address the design needs of more than one-third of our population. Too often, the designers of homes allow the built environment to define the capabilities of the resident, rather than the opposite being true. That has always been the problem evidenced by the current inaccessible housing inventory. People typically purchase a house according to their needs of the day, never considering their future needs. This way of thinking has perpetuated the problem of inaccessibility within traditional homes. Incorporating Universal Design principles into today's houses allows for our antiquated architecture to be redefined by both our changing human needs and abilities. It has the ability to span all generations of inhabitants. The sooner the principles exist in a home, the longer it can be enjoyed by everyone; because no one is excluded. Home accessibility should be a concern no matter what your age. If your concerns are not for you, barring any life changing accident, they could concern the accessibility and safety for another generation's independence. As we become more life-experienced, our society is beginning to realize our homes should be flexible to accommodate future life changes. This benefit alone will afford adapted housing the ability to conform to our needs. Hence, society will understand the significance of a forever home. The physical life changes involved can be long-term or of short duration while recovering from an accident or disease. Regardless, the home is prepared for what comes next through the use of Universal Design.

The recent Aging in Place phenomena deals with reactive home modifications to existing homes due to health changes of one or more residents. The adaptations allow the inhabitants to remain within their home safely as they age. A planned Universal Design home quietly and proactively addresses abrupt issues without calling attention to anyone. The design simply anticipates the homeowner's changing needs. The modifications can be performed room by room overtime or all at once. Furthermore, Universal Design segues seamlessly into what is required for Aging in Place. However, we cannot conceive or solve all future situations for everyone because we all age differently with our own list of specific needs. In extreme cases, a specialized accessibility design comes into play customized around a single person's needs.

But what about the costs involved in a home using Universal Design? Utilizing Universal Design in a new build home isn't necessarily more expensive than a status-quo traditional inaccessible home. It generally approaches a three-to-four-percent overall increase. The same building techniques are involved in both; but the Universal Design home is designed with more forethought and expertise to improve safety, accessibility, and comfort. Consequently, if you are remodeling an existing home, incorporating the principles of Universal Design, it is more costly on the order of fifteen-to-twenty-percent because you not only have the updated building costs to consider but the demolition costs as well. The same remodeling costs for the preparation of a revised layout are involved with any type renovation prior to the modifications beginning, whether the final appearance is traditional or universal in nature. 

Basically, Universal Design principles involve the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Using Universal Design, there are seven design criteria which must be met to be considered a Universal Design no matter which area of the home you are referring to. Any design must be (1) equally useful to everyone, (2) have flexibility in it's usefulness, (3) be simple and intuitive, (4) be perceived by everyone, (5) have a tolerance for error, (6) require little physical effort, and (7) it must maintain an adequate area for approach and use. Any complexity or discriminating attribute to a design will doom it in terms of  being considered universal in nature. However, what better way can you improve on a home's total visitability?  The term visitability pertains to anyone entering freely into a home, having unrestricted maneuverability throughout the home, and having the ability to enter and utilize a bathroom's facilities without assistance. 

Whether you refer to this needed housing revolution today as accessible design, inclusive design, or Universal Design, it is all about making a home safe, attractive, and easy to use for all residents. It has nothing to do with the age, agility, or status of life for anyone living within the home. The main intent of this way of thinking is to be sure the inhabitants and their visitors are equally able to enjoy their home throughout their entire lifetime. This way Aging in Place can be accomplished without the expense and hassle of having to make periodic or interfering abrupt changes to the home to meet a person's ever-changing physical needs. With Universal Design, you have the ability to proactively plan for all stages of your life cycle using forethought which, once discovered, you ultimately find is just common sense. Even if you are in perfect health, you can be disrupted by a minor mishap. A more serious injury changes things forever once you no longer have all your abilities.  Universal design ideas do not strictly deal with accessibility or Aging in Place design and does not implement precise ADA standards; but it does offer flexibility to add accessories now and later to those planning ahead or to the end-user. It also provides for a wide range of human performance characteristics for the way people use spaces within their homes including well integrated usability features. Hence, a Universal Design/build project is appealing to all users.  

Can you envision building a house as a young adult that you can live in safely and comfortably while you age no matter what your basic physical needs require? In this home, visitors are never problematic if they exhibit limited mobility or other issues. This flexible Universal Design home contains wider doorways of 36-inches or more and adequately lit hallway widths of 42-48-inches to accommodate a stroller, wheelchair or walker. There is a wide-open feeling of comfort throughout the house's main living areas in the bathroom, kitchen, and living area that do not restrict moving about. A five-foot turning radius is observed throughout the home. Wood blocking is installed behind the finished walls in all wet areas to accommodate secure grab bar installations at the proper time. The towel racks in the kitchen are installed so they can double as grab bars once you become unsteady from lack of balance. All the no-step entryways from the front door to the shower entrance are smooth to prevent tripping from high thresholds and all flooring transitions are level. Non-slip flooring is installed, especially in wet areas, using cork or smaller floor tiles which in turn increase friction from the grout lines. All doors and faucets are controlled by lever hardware. Sinks inside the bathroom and kitchen have roll-under capability. Within the sink base cabinets, doors or roll-out shelving are installed until the roll-under design is needed. Full-extension drawers and pull-out shelves are installed in lieu of doors. The cabinet tops and work areas throughout the house are placed at varying heights to promote adaptability. This universal designed home is barrier-free without looking modified and is accessible to everyone no matter their age, size, or capability of movement. Furthermore, this home is usable by everyone from your father to your son.

David L. Traut, CAPS the owner of T-Square Company in Austin, Texas is one of the select group of professionals to earn the Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) designation, identifying him as a home remodeler and builder with the skills and knowledge necessary to remodel or modify a home to meet the unique needs of the older population, disabled owners, or their visitors. Consequently, David is certified in Universal Design in the US and Australia. T-Square Company is a Universal Design contractor offering a full compliment of Aging in Place services including bathroom modifications for elderly clients with special needs. Each design/build project contains the principles of Universal Design. The modifications will be customized to fit your personal needs while increasing your accessibility. Call 512-444-0097 today to begin the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. CAPS #1636580

As an answer to his clients requests over the years, David has recently published a book entitled "Age in Place at Home: Adapting the Home Environment for All Generations". The book reflects on thirty years of accessibility improvements and identifies why our traditional homes specifically lack this very basic need. It is available on Amazon and stands as a reference book for increasing home accessibility using the principles of Universal Design in every room of the home. The book dwells on this inclusive design concept as a solution to our current housing dilemma.

Let's face it, accessible homes are needed by all of us at some time during our lives. This is true whether it's for ourselves, a family member, or a guest. The need for handicap remodeling is certainly not driven by age but is a result of life's experience. Any family living with disability among any of it's generations within the group can always benefit from additional accessibility.   This will in turn increase safety and independence for all people involved as they go about life. Except under extreme situations, complete ADA-compliance normally isn't required for a remodel used to increase residential accessibility. The ADA rules are a great place to begin a design when dealing with a lack of home accessibility. However, any and all compliant items are a great help for everyone. The ADA specifications deal with explicit measurements, but these stringent rules do not apply to many people. Diverse body sizes and abilities are overlooked, and everyone is dealt with on average. More so, only if modifications involve government backed housing and funding are the ADA guidelines followed to the letter. In other words, the guidelines aren't a consideration when dealing with a single private family residence. So how did the ADA guidelines come about?

During the 1960's, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, protecting the civil rights of those with disabilities. This law was merely a beginning, acknowledging a part of our population was dealing with disabilities. Although this law did not directly address disabilities per se, it served as a foundational piece of civil rights legislation. Disability advocates applied the language used in the Civil Rights Act for later legislation concerning civil rights for those with disabilities. Later on, the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as ADA, as we know it today began. First implemented in 1990, it was our government’s first step toward addressing the needs of citizens living with disabilities. Yet as technology and our culture evolved, so did the challenges faced by disabled Americans. Accessibility became a hurdle not only in the physical world but also the vast digital realm of today. The law is constantly evolving while changing with the times; thereby making everyday life easier for individuals with unique needs. 

Disability is a complex phenomenon representing an interaction between one's physical impairments, the activities they need to perform, and the architectural barriers within the space in which this situation occurs. The terminology and jargon used for disabilities evolves regularly whereas, "handicapped" is no longer acceptable. It is no longer merely a description of intellectual or physical impairments. Each individual with similar impairments describes his or her limitations differently. The blind don't experience their world the same as a person with deafness and so on. Physically challenged has become the more socially accepted description of a person with an impairment, regardless of age. No matter how old you are, you should periodically evaluate your residence to determine whether it suits you not just for the present but the future. Your personal home assessments will be revised every time your living situation changes. Whether childproofing for a newborn, making a home more accessible following a sickness or unfortunate accident to someone in the family, or making a toilet area safer for an aging residing parent, there will be an immediate evolution to your primary domicile. These same life-span design features become more important if you believe you're past the age of wanting to move and are relishing the thought of aging in your own home, no matter what physical limitations you might later develop. This way of thinking has created a niche residential market known as Aging in Place. Solving Aging in Place issues will soon become the number one challenge concerning the present obsolete housing inventory in our country. Incorporating smart aging design concepts like a roll-in-shower into a home will attract a larger group of buyers when you decide to finally sell your home. Preparing for one of those highly likely events involving someone in your home needing room modifications for even a short time while recovering from surgery is surely a wise move. 

In our daily lives, we all know what to do if the front door is no longer secure, if the kitchen sink backs up, or if the air conditioning suddenly goes out on a hot day. However, for those suddenly facing a catastrophic illness, life can suddenly be a scary and confusing place in which our existing homes are no longer a sanctuary but become a prison within the nightmare of limited accessibility. With the onset of a life-altering illness or catastrophic injury, knowing who to call to solve problems faced performing our usual daily tasks suddenly becomes very challenging.

Knowledgeable construction and design professionals are utilizing the CAPS training across the nation. CAPS stands for Certified Aging In Place Specialist. This designation is taught through the National Association of Home Builders in collaboration with AARP. CAPS connects responsible professionals with home owners who need these services on an ever-increasing basis. CAPS is a nationwide initiative and all active CAPS members can be found at nahb.org/CAPS. Look for the CAPS designation as a reliable way to identify professionals to modify your home or build a new forever home that is designed for a lifespan. CAPS graduates receive training about the technical/construction aspects and learn about the unique aspects of working with older Americans. They must take formal business training to maintain their credential through continuing education and subscribe to a Code of Ethics.

David L. Traut, CAPS the owner of T-Square Company in Austin, Texas is one of the select group of professionals to earn the Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) designation, identifying him as a home remodeler and builder with the skills and knowledge necessary to remodel or modify a home to meet the unique needs of the older population, disabled owners, or their visitors. T-Square Company offers a full compliment of Aging in Place services including bathroom modifications for elderly clients with special needs. Each design/build project will be customized to fit your personal needs increasing your accessibility. Call 512-444-0097 today to begin the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. CAPS #1636580

As an answer to his clients requests over the years, David has recently published a book entitled "Age in Place at Home: Adapting the Home Environment for All Generations". The book reflects on thirty years of accessibility improvements and identifies why our traditional homes specifically lack this very basic need. It is available on Amazon and stands as a reference book for increasing home accessibility using the principles of Universal Design in every room of the home.

Universal Design Construction or inclusive construction is used when a homeowner is smartly planning for life changes within their home. The most significant advantage of using this innovative concept is that it smoothly prepares a home for Aging in Place. By gradually applying elements of Universal Design into periodic home remodeling projects, those specific home areas are Age in Place ready without being noticed until needed. The concept provides various human performance characteristics for people using spaces within their homes, including well-integrated usability features. These adaptations have a broad market appeal to everyone for achieving ease of use, safety, and convenience, accommodating an inevitable reality. The effects of aging and disease are tempered because adaptability is built into the design. The reality is that all people exist along a continuum of human performance as per their traits and characteristics, regardless of their age. A universal approach to design considers that everyone has varying degrees of ability and disability rather than someone who is either fully functional or disabled.

A universal design-build project is appealing to all users. When correctly applied, any home area will be accented universally with stylish function and appears virtually invisible. Bathrooms, kitchens, family rooms, and bedrooms will all benefit the homeowner once the principles of Universal Design are applied. Examples of increased usability provided by Universal Design include wider doorways and hallways, enhanced lighting, non-slip flooring, contrasting colors within rooms, more accessible electrical controls and devices, curb-less showers, lever door hardware, more pull-out shelves, and drawers over cabinet doors, varying cabinet top heights, and water faucets and controls operable by a single hand or closed fist.  Be advised, Universal design ideas do not strictly deal with accessibility or Aging in Place design. They do not implement precise ADA standards, but it offers flexibility to add accessories now and later to those planning or the end user. 

Universal Design construction and Aging in Place home modifications are available through T-Square Company in SW Austin, Texas. Each universal design/build project is customized to the homeowner's needs. Call 512-444-0097 today to prepare for the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. T-Square Company will design and build an adapted living environment customized to your abilities. Whether your project concerns home modifications, an accessible addition or wing, or new construction, we can help you increase your accessibility. We have over three decades of building and remodeling experience practicing as a disability contractor for people with special needs. We want to help our clients be as self-sufficient and independent as possible by offering handicap accessible floor plans. Let us show you how to increase safety and accessibility within your living environment.

David L. Traut, CAPS (1636580), the president and owner of T-Square Company, is accredited in Universal Design in the United States and Australia. He has written many papers on the subject and is in the process of finishing a book called Age in Place at Home: Adapting the Home For All Generations. The book covers how Universal Design avoids today's problematic living situations by traditional home's association with status-quo building concepts. Universal Design offers a common-sense gateway for increasing accessibility and adaptability in future homes. It will be available soon from Amazon.

   After so long a time of blogging, soap box deliveries, and conversations with my customers concerning the importance of Universal Design in the future of our home building industry, others have listened and agreed. I was humbled to find this article published in the Austin American Statesman. I take pride in the fact that people are beginning to see the importance of this very forward-thinking design concept.  May this article help to propel the needed universal building movement forward.

The trend toward 'universal design' in homes
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 @ 3:57pm
By David Wilfong

Simple adjustments like a sideways opening oven can make life a lot easier for a person in a wheelchair. | Jofre Essley / Flickr

For many years disabled people faced challenges at every corner of public life. Stairs, rough ground, or even just reaching objects on a shelf created obstacles at inopportune times. Then the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) came into play. Wheelchair ramps and handicapped restrooms became commonplace in common spaces, and the result has been an improved quality of life for millions.

Then there’s the subject of home design. Homes have been modified for many years to meet the needs of the disabled, but now there is a new concept of “universal design,” which means homes being built for all needs from the beginning, even if there is not currently a disabled person living there.
“Along with aging in place, universal design is becoming more of a household term,” says T-Square Company (14141 Highway 290 West, Suite 800 in Austin) in is online blog. “Essentially, it’s about building or modifying places and spaces—both public and private—to accommodate people of all ages and abilities. More than just an architectural concept, universal design is a win-win for sandwich generation boomers caring for aging parents and their children at home, for grandparents raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for all who are facing the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other chronic diseases. Whether your family needs the support now or down the road, universal design features are a good long-term investment for the home itself.”

The trend toward 'universal design' in homes
Tuesday, Jan 15, 2019 @ 3:57pm
By David Wilfong