Open Collections

Housing for disabled people : the essential factors of domestic spatial organization

University of British Columbia

In order to establish the essential criteria of domestic spatial organization for disabled people, this study examined the result of a survey of disabled people in Vancouver. It focussed on two major points: (i) the mobility of disabled people in the home and (ii) the type of household with disabled members. The mobility of disabled people in the home was classified into six levels: those who (1) can walk; (2) can walk but with limited capability, (3) can walk with mechanical aids (canes, crutches, walkers, etc.), (4) are mobile with wheelchair, (5) are mobile with a wheelchair but relatively dependent, and (6) are immobile. The necessary domestic spatial arrangements for each Mobility Level were established by examining the capability of the disabled people at that level in fundamental daily activities such as walking, transferring to and from a bed, eliminating, bathing, and going out of the home. In order to establish the basic types of household with disabled members, six standard household types were considered: husband-and-wife family, one-parent family, complex family, individual, and group. The classification into basic types of household with disabled members was established by indicating the position of disabled members in each standard type of household. The essential domestic spatial factors for each type of household with disabled members were established by focussing-; on who is in charge of or who is partially in charge of the fundamental responsibilities of daily life such as earning a living, housekeeping, and providing personal care and assistance for disabled members. Ultimately, both the Levels of Mobility and the composition of households with disabled members, taken together, were used to establish the essential factors of domestic spatial organization. These factors should prove very useful in future research to locate, describe, and ultimately eliminate architectural barriers in the use of dwellings by disabled people.

Text

2010-02-27

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21178

Architecture

University of British Columbia

Graduate