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Accessible housing refers to the construction or modification (such as through renovation or home modification) of housing to enable independent living for persons with disabilities. Accessibility is achieved through architectural design, but also by integrating accessibility features such as modified furniture, shelves and cupboards, or even electronic devices in the home. In Canada, FlexhousingTM is a concept that encourages homeowners to make renovations that modify their house over time to meet changing accessibility needs. The concept supports the goals of enabling "homeowners to occupy a dwelling for longer periods of time, perhaps over their entire lifetimes, while adapting to changing circumstances and meeting a wide range of needs"; Universal Housing in the United States and Lifetime Homes in the United Kingdom are similar concepts.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/flho/flho_001.cfm )〕 Great Britain applies the most widespread application of home access to date. In 1999, Parliament passed Section M, an amendment to residential building regulations requiring basic access in all new homes.〔"Doors to Be Swept Away in New Rules for Builders", Rachel Kelley, The Times, December 5, 1997.〕 In the United States, the 1988 Amendments to the Fair Housing Act added people with disabilities, as well as familial status, to the classes already protected by law from discrimination (race, color, gender, religion, creed, and country of origin). Among the protection for people with disabilities in the 1988 Amendments are seven construction requirements for all multifamily buildings of more than four units first occupied after March 13, 1991. These seven requirements are as follows:〔Fair Housing First, a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.〕 #An accessible building entrance on an accessible route, #Accessible common and public use areas, #Doors usable by a person in a wheelchair, #Accessible route into and through the dwelling unit, #Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls in accessible locations, #Reinforced walls in bathrooms for later installation of grab bars, and #Usable kitchens and bathrooms. Access is typically defined within the limits of what a person sitting in a wheelchair is able to reach with arm movement only, with minimal shifting of the legs and torso. Lighting and thermostat controls should not be above and power outlets should not be below the reach of a person in a wheelchair. Sinks and cooking areas typically need to be designed without cupboards below them, to permit the legs of the wheelchair user to roll underneath, and countertops may be of reduced height to accommodate a sitting rather than standing user. In some cases two food preparation areas may be combined into a single kitchen to permit both standing and wheelchair users. In spite of these advancements, the housing types where most people in the United States reside – single-family homes – are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, or any other federal law with the exception of the small percentage of publicly funded homes impacted by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. As a result, the great majority of new single-family homes replicate the barriers in existing homes. ==Renovations for accessibility== Homeowners may be challenged by the need to find renovators familiar with accessible design issues. The federal government of Canada and the provincial governments work jointly to share the cost of offering reimbursement programs for homeowners in need of house renovations for accessibility.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/prfinas/prfinas_004.cfm )〕 These programs improve the ability of homeowners to fund house modifications, through renovating existing houses. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Accessible housing」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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