The UD Project

"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/…

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

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.

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

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

@holz_bau Sounds great. Looking forward to it. We saw your slides from your presentation last year with HousingForward Virginia... good stuff.

@holz_bau Could this be a supply & demand issue? US regulations are obviously part of it.

19% of households (not individuals) in America have accessibility needs. bit.ly/4a25jGZ

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.

"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.

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

@nickhasthoughts @holz_bau Got it. 🙃

@nickhasthoughts @holz_bau Why?

@holz_bau Among many other things, yep.

19% of households in America have accessibility needs, but less than 0.15% of homes can be considered universally accessible. go.universaldesign.org/housing

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.

"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-42-m…

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-gc/our…

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.

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.