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The UD Project @theUDproject

We're on a mission to increase the demand for universally accessible homes.

Joined February 2016
  • Tweets 2,165
  • Following 802
  • Followers 629
125 Photos and videos
"Millions of Americans are priced out of homes and apartments. For people with disabilities, finding an accessible place they can afford can be even more challenging." Highlighting @TheKelseyMore's work... pbs.org/newshour/show/people…

People with disabilities face extra hurdles amid national housing shortage

Millions of Americans are priced out of homes and apartments. For people with disabilities, finding an accessible place they can afford can be even more challenging. Judy Woodruff reports on the...

pbs.org
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OT student, Grant, comes to us with some unique skills and is jumping into the warmer weather with ideas for making gardening tasks convenient. He also has great tips to share for kitchen storage and lighting. Listen in on our latest podcast episode! bit.ly/4bGqFu6
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13% of U.S. households include someone who uses a mobility-assistive device, and 19% of households include an individual with accessibility needs. There are 127 million U.S. households.
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There's been a lot of talk about all forms of tiny house living. Moveable or not - is it possible to make these spaces accessible? OT student, Anisha, joins us in our newest episode to discuss tips & things to consider if you're curious about living tiny. bit.ly/3PYVOR6
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We're back with another podcast episode - this time with Joe, an #OT student of Rebecca's! We talk about his project, the need for improvements in public transportation, some unique benefits of a zero-step entry shower that goes beyond safety. bit.ly/3PEGZD0
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19% of households (not individuals) in America have accessibility needs. bit.ly/4a25jGZ
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Let's welcome OT student, Anisha! We discuss her research and favorite UD things. Results from her interprofessional interviews about collaboration across industries in the #UD world will be coming soon, but today we're chatting about museum access and adjustable countertops.
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"Universal design features aren’t always expensive." That is true, but including a few UD elements won't make an entire home or building universally accessible. It's important to focus on the design and the cost of the whole thing.
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It's been a while since we've dropped a new podcast episode, but in the meantime... we've created some unique course content that we wanted to tell you all about. Listen in to our most recent podcast to learn more: bit.ly/3PjfqyU #UD #homemodifications #OT
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19% of households in America have accessibility needs, but less than 0.15% of homes can be considered universally accessible. go.universaldesign.org/housi…

Learning Community Info – The UD Project

Free courses on universal design & home accessibility. Building, renovating, or adapting? Connect with our team and community to learn what’s possible.

universaldesign.org
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Disability is not a diagnosis. It is part of the human experience in the world we live in. Our bodies do not last forever. Countless health conditions exist that affect typical function and ability. The design of our housing must be seen as healthcare.
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"62 percent of the increase in cost-burdened low-income homeowners came from those over age 65, highlighting the dearth of affordable, accessible homes" jchs.harvard.edu/blog/more-4…

More Than 42 Million US Households Were Cost Burdened in 2022

jchs.harvard.edu
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Home modifications for accessibility aren't socially sustainable. The National Association of Realtors states the median duration of homeownership is 13 years. Houses can last for 100 years. That means multiple households over each home's lifespan.
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Home modifications are tailored to individual needs. If the individual/family moves out and a new household moves in, chances are good that custom modifications won't be what the new individual/family needs. Accessibility modifications will be removed. We've seen this happen.
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This is one big reason why universal design is important. It's about usability for everyone. It's not about one-size-fits-all. It's about making smart design choices. It's about social sustainability. Here's some more info from the UN: unglobalcompact.org/what-is-…
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Prices will typically be pushed to the maximum if the supply exceeds the demand. This doesn't help affordability. And it certainly doesn't help accessibility. People need places to live. If all that's available is inaccessible options, people will have no other options.
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Furthermore, people's budgets will be stretched thinner and thinner. So how do we reach a point where homes are affordable AND accessible? The supply has to increase. A lot. And that supply has to be chock full of [universally] accessible options.
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We're becoming more convinced that housing affordability is a mechanism of supply and demand more than construction (and design) costs. Sure, labor and material cost is part of it, but sale prices aren't calculated by taking the cost of materials cost of labor profit.
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This is much different than other products, where ramping up production volume will (can) lower costs and increase profits while keeping prices stable. Homeowners & landlords can set prices as "market rate," defined by what the market will pay. There's no formula for this.
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The UD Project retweeted
Shelterforce@Shelterforce
22 Dec 2023
"Trying to get developers to build these places, even a small percentage of the apartments, it's worse than pulling teeth," says disability advocate Dominick Calsolaro. "It's even worse than trying to get inclusionary housing and affordable rent . . ." bit.ly/487p4Mc
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