Extra-wide front doors with flush thresholds may be popular, but they also dovetail perfectly with inclusive design ideals. This Porto oak door is by Urban Front (
www.urbanfront.com)
I put my back out earlier this year. I wasn’t able to walk upstairs and, although I could sleep on the ground floor of my house, the journey from there to our sanitary facilities was a long one. It was an interesting and difficult few weeks, and it made me wish that I lived in a house that had been designed with inclusivity in mind.
When buildings are created from the outset to be accessible, you will not notice the inclusive elements, because they are part of the design. However, many properties that have been adapted after their original construction have a cluttered feel, as the changes have to be tacked on as an afterthought.
Since the early 1990s, there has been a big legislative push for dwellings to make provision for disabled access. Now, for example, every new property must have an accessible front door and ground-floor WC. However, there are many other features that can also be easily incorporated into a house’s design, which can add value without significantly increasing the budget, so long as they are considered in the early briefing and design stages.
Part M of the Building Regulations (Access To and Use of Buildings) is the most relevant to this subject. However, treat these standards as the bare minimum. With more of an embracing attitude towards inclusivity, you can ensure that your home will benefit you and anyone else that comes to live there for the rest of your lives.