What is Accessible Housing?

 Whether or not a home is accessible depends upon the nature and extend of one's disability. As a practical matter, an accessible home is one which enables an individual to do what he or she needs and desires to do as independently as possible. For some, access may be as simple as adding grab bars and a tub seat in the bathroom. For wheelchair users, access may require ramping entrances, widening doorways, lowering counters, adding lever or loop-style hardware to doors and drawers, and modifying storage areas.

Because the requirements of accessibility vary so widely, several terms have become widely used:

Accessible Design - generally refers to houses or other dwellings that meet specific requireents for accessibility. These requirements are found in state, local, and model building codes, and regulations such as the Fair Housing Amendments of 1988, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) , and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). These laws dictate standards dimensions and characteristics for such features as door widths, clear spae for wheelchair mobility, audible and visual signals, grab bars, swithc and outlet height, and more. The accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulates the accessibility of public buildings and facilities.

Adaptable Design - allows some features of a dwelling to be changed to meet the needs of a person with a disability. Essential design elements such as wider doorways and halls and barrier-free entrances are included as integral features, while provisions are made to allow other features to be added as needed. To qualify as "adaptable", it must be possible for changes to be made quickly without the use of skilled labor and without changing the inherent structure or materials. Adaptable design allows the house or apartment to meet the specific needs of the user, while maintaining the appearance of the dwelling until more obvious accessibility features are needed. For instance, bathroom walls may be designed with additional supports to allow for installation of grab bars in the future. Cabinets under sinks can be designed to be removable, allowing the storage space to be provided until such time as the knee space is required by someone using a wheelchair. Similarly, closet rods and counter tops can be insalled on adjustable glides;allowing them to be positioned for the needs of the user. Criteria for adaptable housing are included in the ANSI standards and UFAS.

Universal Design - addresses the need for access by creating designs usable by all people, whether or not they are disabled. This is accomplished by designing wider halls and doors, barrier-free entrances, elevated electrical outlets, lowered switches, adjustable closet rods and shelves, adjustable counters, touch switches, and other features as inherent elements in the building. This type of design makes the home usable by all family members and recognizes that human abilities change over the life span.

 Access and Rental: The Fair Housing Act Amendments

It is not necessary to own a house in order to obtain accessible housing.

The Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), which became effective on March 12, 1989, extended the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to cover housing for people with disabilities. Under FHAA, it is illegal to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of a dwelling, to refuse to process an offer or to refuse a legitimate offer on the basis of an applicant's disablity.

It is also illegal to use differing applications or criteria for persons with and without disabilities or to segregate persons with disabilities to specific units or areas. Further, the Amerndments render it unlawful to inquire as to whether the buyer or renter has a disability and as to the severity of the disability. These prohibitions apply to most housing options, including multi-family building, condominiums, cooperatives, and mobile homes. However, the FHAA does not apply to the sale or rental of single-family homes unless the owner owns more than three such homes at the same time and the sale or rental is conducted without the use of a real estate broker, agent, or salesperson.. The Amendments also do not apply to the multi-family dwellings of four or fewer units if the owner occupies one of those units as his or her place of residence.