Making Your Home Accessible - and Beautiful

Cynthia Leibrock teaches architecture at Harvard and created a “universal design” exhibit for the Smithsonian, but this week, she’s here to help you make your home more accessible- that is, more enjoyable and adaptable as you age.
 
Leibrock and her husband live at Green Mountain Ranch in Livermore, Colorado, which integrates more than 180 universal design elements that are viewable on her Web site, www.agingbeautifully.org/ranch, or on a monthly, free tour of the home.
 
She says about a third of the ideas cost less than $50- including installing grab bars. (She also has a trick for hiding the brackets so they aren’t an eyesore.)
 
Leibrock is joined by Elinor Ginzler, AARP’s director of livable communities, who says we’re at the “tipping point” of people realizing they may be able to stay safe and comfortable in their own homes by making a few changes.
 
Many of the ideas they discuss with Mike are handy- as well as just plain cool- the essence of universal design. Wouldn’t it be great to control your thermostat from your computer at work? Warming up the house before you come home is also a good health tip for people with poor circulation.
 
To learn more, press play on the audio player.

More Information

• Learn more about Green Mountain Ranch 

• Visit a livable homes Web site

• Search for assistive technology products

• Find out who won the 2009 Livable Community Awards- cosponsored by AARP and the National Association of Home Builders