Much of Universal Design deploys common sense. Installing temperature-restricted faucets means babies can take baths without risk of scalding. Wider hallways and doorways become easier to navigate with arms full of groceries or in a wheelchair. Installing kitchen cabinets at wall mid-point, rather than ceiling level, means not having to lift heavy dishes above your head. Washers and dryers go near the bedroom, not in the basement. Non-step entry-ways offer access for someone using a wheelchair or a walker, as well as parents or caregivers pushing strollers.

As life expectancy rises, and medical research continues to extend the lives of those with significant injuries, illnesses and birth defects, more and more of us live out our lives in our own homes. Others would like to do this, but cannot, because their home’s design effectively forces them into institutions. This problem is particularly acute for aging Americans. Approximately 85 percent of the elderly could remain at home, or live with family members, but cannot do so because homes are not wheel-chair accessible.