FOR ALL DESIGN

EXPANDED VISION

On June 13, 1998, my husband Mark Leder and I went for a bicycle ride on a rural wooded bike trail in Granville, Ohio. After riding for 10 minutes, Mark thought he heard a gunshot and slowed down to investigate. As he scanned the scene, he saw a large tree falling. He shouted, “Stop!” But the warning was too late. Instantly, I was crushed by a 7,000 pound tree and paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury.

After six weeks of being in the rehabilitation hospital, I returned home in my wheelchair. I was shocked and disheartened, realizing just how much my home intensified my disability. The house was not accessible. Mark had to pull me in my wheelchair up the three steps at the front door. And the carpet was too thick for me to navigate in the wheelchair, so Mark pushed me from one room to another.

Universal Design

Shortly after coming home from the hospital,

I read a magazine article about a woman in a wheelchair who had a home with universal design features. Universal design is a framework for creating living and working spaces, and products, to benefit the widest range of people in the widest range of situations without special or separate design.

The photos in the magazine of her kitchen gave me ideas and hope. I thought, “What if our home had universal design features?” My research began as I read articles and books, toured homes and talked with design and building professionals.

Designing, building a national demonstration home and garden

My husband is 6 feet 4 inches tall, while I am 4 foot 2 inches seated in my wheelchair. Our heights and reaches were factors in the home design so that we were both accommodated.

In September of 2004, we hired architect Patrick Manley to draw the house plans for our new home. Mark and I bought an acre-and-a-half lot in December of 2006. We broke ground on Sept. 23, 2009, and moved in May 2012.

Mark and I served as the general contractors of our home, the Universal Design Living Laboratory. We received the highest levels of certification from three universal design certification programs, making our home the highest-rated universal design home in North America.

A look back 10 years

Living in the Universal Design Living Laboratory for the past 10 years has given me a unique perspective.

I have learned the importance of space planning; small differences in the width of a door, the height of a threshold or the slope of a ramp can impact a person’s independence. Safety features like grab bars in the toileting area and shower have kept me from falling, and they make transfers easier.

The first noticeable improvement when I moved into our new home was the ease of navigating on the hardwood and tile floors. Mark called me “Zippy” as I rolled briskly from room to room, passing easily through the 36-inch-wide doorways. My shoulders were no longer strained as they had been on the carpet in my previous home. All of the entries to our home are step-free with thresholds no higher than ½ inch, making it easy to enter and exit.

Kitchen design

Key universal design features in the kitchen should include the overall design of the circulation pattern, cabinet design, various countertop heights and appliance selection.

In my kitchen, I especially like having the center island with three countertop heights: 30, 35 and 40 inches. I can roll under the 30-inch-high section and chop, slice and mix food. There are electrical outlets on the center island. The appliance garage is conveniently integrated under the island so the small appliances can be stored.

The side-hinged oven and microwave are located under the 40inch section of the center island. By having the door swing away there is more room for access to put items in and take out of the oven.

The 34-inch-high countertop on the perimeter of the kitchen that includes the sink and cooktop is an ideal height to accommodate both my needs and my husband’s. The knee space under the sink and cooktop allow me to roll under them. Deep drawers under the countertop roll easily and store dishes and pans.

When I first saw an in-counter steamer and pasta cooker at the International Builders Show, I knew I had to have it. This is built into the cooktop. The pot filler is positioned by the cooker so I can add water. I boil the water and add pasta to a metal basket.

From left: Universal Design Living Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio, is the highest-rated universal design home in North America. > Key universal design features in the kitchen should include the overall design of the circulation pattern, cabinet design, various countertop heights and appliance selection. > Side-hinged oven and microwave. By having the door swing away, there is more room for access to put items in and take out of the oven. > Safety features like grab bars in the toileting area and shower help prevent falls, and make transfers easier. > Small details can make a big difference in planning for universal design. Consider hardwood or tile flooring for ease of navigation, along with varying counter heights, width and depth.

To get a free chapter of the Universal Design Toolkit and learn more about Rossetti’s national demonstration universal design home and garden, the Universal Design Living Laboratory, go to UDLL.com. For more about her speaking and consulting services, visit RosemarieSpeaks.com.

When the pasta is cooked, I drain it with a removable basket. The hot water remaining in the cooker is drained by turning a knob on the cooktop.

The side-by-side refrigerator/ freezer is my preferred configuration. I can easily reach items on shelves and drawers that pull out.

A 5-foot turning radius throughout the kitchen allows me to turn completely around and have space for my husband and I to work together.