{"id":2831,"date":"2022-05-25T11:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T11:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alsoweb.org\/?p=2831"},"modified":"2023-12-29T19:43:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T19:43:15","slug":"home-accessibility-solutions-for-people-with-intellectual-developmental-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alsoweb.org\/nonprofit-blog\/home-accessibility-solutions-for-people-with-intellectual-developmental-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Accessibility Solutions for People with Intellectual\/Developmental Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Home Accessibility Solutions for People with Intellectual\/Developmental Disabilities<\/h1>\r\n

Want to make home more livable for someone experiencing intellectual\/developmental disabilities (I\/DD)? When it comes to providing home improvements for accessibility, most of the information you\u2019ll find refers to obvious solutions, like wheelchair ramps*. But there are less visible home accessibility solutions that can make life markedly better for people with I\/DD and they may not be on your radar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

*If you do need to know how to build ramps for home accessibility, you can find good information at the Home Wheelchair Ramp Project<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Assess Accessibility Needs<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Of course, the first step in planning for home improvements for accessibility is to ask the person with the disability what they need. But for that to work well, the individual with the disability needs to know exactly what difficulties they face, which tools or resources can help, and how to communicate that\u2014all tasks that can be especially difficult for people experiencing I\/DD. \u201cThe barriers to accessibility faced by people with intellectual disabilities are not always apparent and, therefore, require exploration and clarification,\u201d Professor Shira Yalon-Chamovitz writes in her publication, Invisible Access Needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Conceptual Model of Practice <\/em>(Ono College, Israel). She identifies the four main accessibility challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Pace:<\/strong> Multiple studies have reported that people with intellectual disabilities have relatively slow reaction and processing times.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Complexity: <\/strong>Complex instructions, products with many parts or ones that require several steps to use can all be barriers for people with intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Literacy: <\/strong>Studies show that 87% of people with intellectual disabilities function at the lowest level of literacy skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Stigma: <\/strong>At first glance, stigma doesn\u2019t seem like a physical access issue, but it can keep people with intellectual disabilities from fully integrating into residential communities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Consider Universal Design<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Luckily, there are simple ways to address the barriers above\u2014and to make homes more accessible to all, not just people with intellectual disabilities. Universal Design, as defined by The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, is “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.” By using Universal Design, you can create environments for people of all ages and abilities, without having to use products or design that are \u201cspecial\u201d (and therefore expensive). Think wider doorways, level handles on door and sinks, and electrical outlet you don\u2019t have to bend down to use.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Universal Design\u2019s seven core principles assist everyone, but may be especially helpful when creating home accessibility solutions for people with I\/DD, as they address the challenges of pace, complexity, literacy, and even stigma:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n