Disability Technology & News

Santa Cruz County’s UD

Santa Cruz County’s Commission on Disabilities pushes for home design guidelines
By ROGER SIDEMAN
February 10, 2007

New home-building guidelines that would encourage or possibly require homes to be designed with the needs of the physically disabled and elderly in mind are being developed by the county Commission on Disabilities. It would be the first time private residences in the county would be subject to such rules.

The new guidelines proposed would encourage builders and architects to create homes with wider hallways and doorways to allow wheelchairs and walkers to pass, among other considerations that make getting around easier. No-step entries and reinforced walls capable of supporting grab bars are other accommodations in a movement often referred to as “universal design”

The term was coined in 1989 by architect Ron Mace, who developed a set of seven design principles, which include “low physical effort” and “simple and intuitive use”

Members of the county Commission on Disabilities concede that the county may not want to make such rules mandatory, at least not yet. They do, however, want the county Planning Department to encourage universal design when builders come seeking permits.

“They could at least give builders a checklist of accessibility options they can choose from in new construction,” said commission member Peter Haylin.

Eventually, commission members said, the county could opt to introduce a type of fee, known as an “add-on,” that would charge homebuilders who choose not to follow some basic elements of universal design. This method would avoid conflict with state law, which bars local municipalities from imposing accessibility standards into building codes, Haylin said.

County Supervisor Jan Beautz said she would expect controversy over any new rules imposed on builders.

“It sounds like a good idea but there are complications that always arise,” she said.

Some developers might not like the added cost, but one of the largest homebuilders in the county already incorporates universal design features into his homes.

The added cost to build new houses to be more accessible is no more than 5 percent, said developer Bill Brooks.

“Our policy is actually to make every place to at least have the capability of being converted for more extensive handicap use,” said Brooks, whose new development on Water Street in Santa Cruz has kitchen cabinets that can be converted for use by the physically disabled, among other features.

“It’s well worth the expense because it can make a house more marketable,” he said.

And universal design features are not just for the disabled. They are also intended to allow aging citizens to remain at home as their physical capabilities change.

“People think about wheelchairs but don’t think about other mobility problems such as aging,” said commission member Doug Patrick.

But it will become a bigger problem in the county as a large segment of the population starts to age.

According to the commission, about one in six people in the county live with some kind of disability.

But most homes aren’t designed with mobility in mind. There are few requirements for single-family homes to be accessible, according to the commission.

“What we’re pushing for is really a big step,” said Haylin.

The commission has not provided a timeline for when its proposals will be formalized.

The federal government has no rules mandating universal design in single-family homes and neither does California. But that may change, commissioners said, because the state Department of Housing and Community Development is also in the process of developing guidelines for universal design.

Patrick said the immediate goal is to convince builders that universal design includes many no-brainers that people can easily accomplish right away.

“Our focus right now is just to educate homeowners and developers to do what they can,” Patrick said.

Contact Roger Sideman at rsideman@santacruzsentinel.com.

‘Universal design’ basics

• A no-step entry, so that anyone can enter the house or the main rooms.
• One-story living, meaning places to eat, the bathroom and bedrooms are all on one level. The level should be barrier-free, meaning it has thresholds flush with the floor and a pathway between those rooms that is wide enough for a wheelchair.
• Doorways at least 32 inches wide, but preferably 36 inches. Hallways at least 36 inches wide.
• Floors and bathtubs with nonslip surfaces.
• Handrails at stairs and grab bars in bathrooms.
• Lever door handles rather than doorknobs, rocker light switches rather than standard switches, easy-access electrical outlets and other controls.
• Adjustable cabinets that allow under-counter knee space for people who use wheelchairs.

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