Do ADUs need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Well, the answer is no, your ADU does not need to comply with the ADA as your main residential unit.
The ADA is required for business and commercial properties to make this space accessible to people with disabilities. However, you can consider this for your ADUs depending on your use of the space and build an ADU with Universal Design in mind.
If you are confused about how to build an ADU keeping ADA compliance in mind, then you can take the help of a professional ADU contractor in your location.
If you want to hire a reliable ADU contractor in Sunnyvale, then you should visit www.edwardshomeremodeling.com to know more about our services.
Why is ADA Compliance necessary?
ADA compliance is not necessary; however, you can build your ADU unit so that it can be compliant with the ADA. If one of your family members has disabilities, then you can build an ADU keeping ADA requirements in mind.
If you want to move your elderly members into your ADU unit, then it will be wise to use ADA requirements to ensure the space will remain accessible for the person having the inability to move or sight problems.
However, your ADU unit does not need to be fully ADA compliant; rather you can build a Universal Design. This design focuses on the accessibility of the space, from the flooring to the ceiling lights. The main aim is to make the design to be accessible in the widest range.
This type of design can be very appealing to buyers who want to purchase homes that will suit the elderly members of their families.
What is a Universal Design for ADUs?
If you are planning your ADU unit, then you might be wondering about the concept of a universal design. You can hire a trusted ADU builder in your location to make it ADA-compliant or build a universal design for your ADUs.
A universal ADU design includes:
- Comparatively wider hallways, paths, and entrance areas so that a person using wheelchairs can access this ADU unit.
- To provide protection, there should be coverings on the front door.
- You should use anti-skid tiles and non-slippery materials; especially in moist areas like the kitchen and the bathroom.
- You should build doorways without a threshold so that a person having mobility issues and joint pains can access the area comfortably.
- Install lightweight doors that an elderly person can easily open. Moreover, the doors should be wider than the usual doors.
- Install remote-controlled window coverings and lights so that the person having disabilities can use these features without moving the bed.
- For a person with arthritis, use lever door handles over doorknobs for easy operation.
- Use anti-skid flooring with a textured pattern so that it can provide a grip and prevent the person from falling.
- For a person with visual impurities, you should use solid-colored countertops so that they identify the things kept on the countertops.
- Install a few smart home technologies having automatic functions so that a person having memory issues can operate them easily.
- Install cabinets at a reachable height so that a person sitting in a wheelchair can access them.
- Make your bathroom larger than the usual size so that they can move in the bath space comfortably.
Conclusion:
You can build your ADU unit with a universal design to make it widely accessible. However, you should keep your requirements in mind and build ADUs that will fulfill your requirements.
If you are confused about how to make your ADU unit more accessible, then you can contact a professional ADU contractor in your location to get your job done.
Give priority to the needs of your elderly members having mobility or sight issues so that they can easily accommodate in your ADU unit.
