November 2008
Stephen Thomas Homes: Universal Design abounds EasyLiving sets up shop in the Commonwealth

The Home Builders Association of Virginia believes no one should be forced to leave their home because of a physical disability. But traditional housing stock, with its stepped entrances and narrow doorways, wasn’t designed with people who are aging or disabled in mind. So the association of home builders is doing something about it. HBAV has helped spearhead Virginia’s entry into the EasyLiving Home program in partnership with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, AARP Virginia, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, New Well Fund and Stephen Thomas Homes. “This is the right program at the right time,” says HBAV President Henry Stephens. “As our population ages, we need to increase the housing stock in the Commonwealth that will allow Virginians to age in place and easily visit family and friends.” EasyLiving Home is a voluntary certification program designed to encourage builders of single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes to implement Universal Design features that make a home cost effective, attractive and convenient for both owners and visitors. An EasyLiving Home incorporates three important design features.

1. A step-free entrance with a threshold of not more than one-half inch from a driveway, sidewalk or firm route into the main floor.

2. A minimum of 32 inches of clear passage space for every interior passage door on the main floor, including bathrooms, and the exterior door to the step-free entrance.

3. At least one bedroom, a kitchen, some entertainment area and at least one full bathroom with designated maneuvering space on the main floor, electrical outlets, and range controls on the front within easy reach.

His Mountain Run home includes a circular driveway with a drive-through garage. There was nothing like that in Virginia when Bill Fuller, president of the Housing Technology Solutions Inc. board of directors, moved from Winchester to Richmond in 2003. “My wife looked at 114 houses before she found one we could use,” says Fuller, who uses a wheelchair. “It had a single floor and wheelchair mobility, but no zero-step access.” Fuller asked the owner about that and was told there used to be two ramps. “The Realtor told him to remove the ramps or he’d never sell the house,” Fuller says. “That shows the insensitivity that’s still out there toward people with disabilities. “It’s not malicious. People are just ignorant. They don’t get that 30 million people are approaching old age and want to remain in their houses but can’t.” EasyLiving offers obvious advantages to seniors and people with disabilities, but it isn’t targeted only to those communities.

An EasyLiving home makes it simpler to offload anything from groceries to a piano, while providing easier passage for baby strollers and strapping teenage athletes. One Georgia owner — the program began in Atlanta — was lured to an EasyLiving neighborhood by its security wall, gate and hardwood floors. “At first I didn’t notice the wider doors and level entrance,” she says. “Now I think they are great extras. I’m just 44 now, but I’d like to stay put here and the EasyLiving Home features will allow me to do so.” An important note: The “visit-ability” features, such as wider halls and doorways, can make a house look 10 percent to 15 percent larger without adding significantly to the cost. “The basic features of EasyLiving don’t affect my costs that much,” Thomas says. “It’s a little more expensive to build on a crawlspace as opposed to a slab. But the basic requirements don’t add much.”

Still, like anything new, the builder adds, it may take awhile to catch on. “One common misconception in making the home more accessible,” he explains, “is that people walk in thinking it’s going to be grab-bar central. But the goal of Universal Design is to make all of these improvements pretty much invisible.” “It’s going to take the next generation to solve the problem,” adds Fuller. “But we’re taking a whack at it.”
Thomas hopes more builders will join the movement. “We can make a difference,” he says. “We can help people by building these types of houses, or by remodeling or reconditioning older homes. I feel like this is the direction my company needs to go in.” HBAV members may contact Rhonda Allison to learn more about the HBAV backed EasyLiving Home program and how to become an EasyLiving Home builder.
She can be reached at info@elhomes.org or (804) 643-3279.

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