Many people are handicapped from birth. They spend their entire lives acclimating to their condition and, though life often is not easy for them, they adjust and many go on to live great lives. But there are also plenty of disabled people out there who used to be able-bodied. Many of these people were involved in some sort of accident which left them disabled, paralyzed or handicapped in some way. Afterwards, these people must return to their homes to find that they are often almost entirely unusable. After all, their home had been optimized by its builder for a non-disabled person. This was ideal when the owner was not disabled, but now that they are the opposite is very much true. At this point, the house is actively combating them. At this point, many people feel that they can no longer take care of themselves, that they would be better off in an assisted living facility or giving up their privacy and hiring a live-in nurse. However, there is another option.

Located, conveniently for those in Monroe, MI, in Grosse Ile, Community Renovations is a residential and commercial contractor ready and willing to perform a wide variety of projects. One area of our work that we’re very proud of is barrier-free design. Barrier-free basically involves building or remodeling a building to make it 100% handicap accessible. But that’s not all. Homes designed for able-bodied use can, as we said above, actively combat the lifestyle of a disabled resident. However, our barrier-free buildings are 100% comfortable and functional for both disabled and able-bodied people. That’s cause we believe in universal design, the idea that a building should be optimized for usage for as many types of people as possible, all without sacrificing the needs of any of them. Here are a couple examples of universal design:

Climbing Up the Stairs: For many disabled people climbing up the stairs can be a trial. However, if you install a lift next to your stairs everyone will win. You’ll be able to use the life to quickly ascend to your home’s next level and any able-bodied people sharing the home will still be able to use the stairs normally.

Taking a Bath: If you have limited mobility something as simple as taking a bath can be very dangerous. You see, most tubs have a high step-in, and that can, for some, lead to slips and falls. Our walk-in tubs are ideal for those who want to enter and exit their tubs without danger, and they’re great for able-bodied people as well.

Walking Through Your Home: Even simply moving from point a to point b in your home can be difficult for those with disabilities. However, there’s plenty we can do to help. Grab bars can be installed throughout your home for increased safety. Your floors can be replaced with a slip-resistant variety, and its material can be updated to make it easier to travel across in a wheelchair. If you use a wheelchair or a walker you may need to have your doorframes widened. We can even help you redesign your floor plan to make it more direct. Regardless, any of the changes we make will benefit able-bodied people as well or they’ll be easy for them to ignore.

If you’re interested in improving and updating your home using the principles of universal design, and you live in the Monroe, MI area, be sure to contact Community Renovations today.