Universal Design
A LIFESTYLE ENHANCEMENT FOR
THE AGES
Home designers have
traditionally designed for the
average buyer. But just who are
those mythical persons of
"average" age and ability?
“Average” design can’t fit all
of the people all of the time,
and problems with the spaces we
live in can come at any time in
our lives. Illness or
accidents, for example, can
temporarily make navigating a
home more difficult.
Universal design should not
be viewed as a provision for
home buyers who are older or
who have physical limitations.
Its features improve access and
functionality for every
household member without regard
to age, size, or abilities.
Even the able-bodied appreciate
a zero step entrance, and
anyone with an armload of
shopping bags is glad of a
levered door handle.
Boomers are a generation
determined to age in place, and
Universal Design makes full
enjoyment of a beautiful new
home complete and lasting.
Simple features, such as zero
step entrances, wider doorways
and halls, and increased
lighting are good for everyone
who lives in and visits a home.
For its owners, the features of
a Universal Design home may
make the difference between
leaving and staying if, over
time, advanced age brings
infirmity or disability.
Shenandoah’s builders have
been in the forefront of the
move to inclusive, adaptable
design. These are some of the
principles they follow in
building their homes
for Shenandoah residents. Their
designs:
• Accommodate a wide
range of individual preferences
and abilities
• Minimize hazards and
provide fail-safe features
• Minimize sustained
physical effort
• Allow ample space in
which to move about and to
work
• Incorporate subtle
support systems, never appear
institutional
Universal Design is not a
fancy name for
handicapped-accessible. It is
not about outfitting homes with
grab-bars. It’s the practice of
making beautiful spaces
inclusive and equitable for
people of any age or
ability.
We defy your children and
grandchildren to find features
in your new Shenandoah home
that will expose you as “old
fogies.”
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