CONCERNS FOR EVERYONE

Consider these figures: — Only about 1 percent of the national housing stock can be considered truly accessible, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, with basic design features such as no-step entry, single-floor living, wide hallways and doorways, electrical controls reachable from a wheelchair and lever-style handles on faucets and doors.

— Homeowners ages 55 and over account for half of the nation’s home improvement expenditures, but fewer than 1 in 10 older remodelers tackled a project that would make their homes more accessible, the center found.

— Eight out of 10 people 65 and older want to remain in their current homes as they age, but the lack of accessible features means many will have to leave those houses or risk a worse quality of life, says Rodney Harrell, director of liveability thought leadership at AARP Public Policy Institute.

And it’s not just the elderly who are affected. Ask anyone who worries about aging parents tumbling down steps or becoming increasingly isolated in family homes that are hard to navigate.

“If you can’t get in and out easily, it’s a huge barrier to staying connected in the community,” Harrell notes.

These concerns are more than just professional for Duncan, since he and his wife are currently renovating a home to make it more accessible after moving from Chapel Hill to Asheville, North Carolina, to be closer to their daughter. The Duncans had renovated their previous home to allow his disabled father to visit, but finding a new home that had even some of the features they wanted proved a challenge, Duncan says.