The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

There are little or no additional construction costs occurred if features based upon these principles are incorporated into the home’s original plans. A few small design changes will make living in your home easier, no matter what stage of life you are currently in. For example; a “stepless” entry is much easier to maneuver through whether you are using a walker or pushing a stroller. Additionally, wider hallways accommodate persons in wheelchairs or those who need assistance, and are more fun for toddlers with toys! Lever handles, as opposed to round knobs, are much easier to use by someone who suffers with arthritis, as well as someone carrying an infant. Multiple-height kitchen countertops offer convenience not only to those in wheelchairs, but to young children who want to help in the kitchen! In addition, selections of easy-to-clean and maintain finish materials and surfaces will make housecleaning much easier and quicker for everyone.

These features enhance the home’s beauty and function; will accommodate the needs of many different people with varying levels of ability; and maximize safe and independent living throughout all the stages of life. Additionally, the home’s value increases. Applying universal design principles now will ensure that your home will be a safe haven no matter how old you are!

Just imagine that every bathroom had grab bars (because anyone can fall!) and more bathrooms had large curbless showers. The installation of a curbless shower in more hotel rooms as well as more homes could also expand the floor space available if necessary for mobility aids. Then, of course, imagine that all bathrooms had “comfort height” toilets and that at least one bathroom in each home allowed for space to transfer on and off the toilet from a wheelchair or other mobility aid.

Connecting Universal Design and Baby Boomers

Turns out universal design and boomers go together like a hand and glove. As boomers become mature consumers, universal design becomes a perfect fit. This is good news for all parties. The design and building/remodeling industry is well positioned to serve this huge population bubble.

Many boomers know that life throws you curves, that change is constant, and that responsibilities may change but never disappear. Think sandwich generation, telecommuting, the bursting tech bubble, career changes as jobs are outsourced and global warming. Universal design is a bigger picture than the skylight example and a bigger opportunity to educate and inform clients how to get good value. Coach them about the potential for good ideas and better design. Flexibility, one universal design principle, is just what boomers want to get lasting value for an uncertain future.

Another way boomers are matched to universal design follows the way decision making changes as we mature. As leading edge boomers reach their sixties, they are purchasing a home not to secure a roof over their heads or to strut their success. Now it is about personal fulfillment. Is the new space about exercise, spa, meditation, art, writing, starting a new business or working from home? The space is a vehicle, your home a gateway for the experience you hope to have. Decisions are about the feeling they evoke for the client’s life. It is not about a desire you share with everyone, but about your own personal desires—not something specific, but the potential of your own dreams. Think comfort, convenience, ease of use. Consider the feelings of natural light all around or the day they play too much tennis to climb the stairs. That is universal design. Conveniently, it is boomers, too. Coach your clients to recognize that all they want to be is inherent in a space that is prepared for anything.

Boomers want to preserve their independence. They want to make their own decisions, darn it! Independence means controlling your home, your day, your life. Universal design reduces the risk of needing to rely on your kids or others. Universal design is a best bet for a home that helps you age with dignity and respect. That is aging in place. Coach them to see peace of mind, universal design, aging in place and independence as different sides of the same coin. That holistic, long term view is good planning and fits the boomer psyche.

Altruism is another way universal design is right for boomers and other mature consumers. My mom bought her airline tickets from a travel agent that supported a non-profit she appreciated. She felt she was doing good with every trip she took. People do not buy a Toyota Prius to save money. They buy it to tie their purchase to something large than themselves. The older we get, the more we want to have a lasting impact at every opportunity. Universal design has long term value for our housing stock. Legacy purchases, so to speak, can almost be seen as gifts to our grandchildren. To have lasting impact in the same purchase that improves our every day lives is a double win.