Save energy, exertion, and time with well-organized storage. Plan "a place for everything" so that effort will not be wasted looking for lost items. Expand reachable storage in the closet with hanging racks for shoes and sweaters. High reach for adults of shorter stature and children typically ranges from 36 in to 44 in a.f.f. while adults in wheelchairs prefer a high reach of 48 in a.f.f.
A universal solution is a pull down closet rod. Keep closet shelves transparent above eye level with plastic or wire shelves. Make maximum use of space at a reachable level with racks and shelves attached to the backs of doors. Add a carousel system that rotates hanging clothes. This type of system is appropriate for people in wheelchairs or anyone needing access to a tight storage space.
Accessories like keys, staplers, scissors, paper clips, tape, eyeglasses, pencils, and pens can be duplicated and stored in a variety of locations to save the energy required for extra trips and prolonged searches. Specify accessory holders at multiple locations. Have a pad and pencil at each telephone together with a directory.
Provide a lap stand for reading or working in bed. Bands on the stand hold the book firmly in place and allow the pages to be turned with one hand. Automatic page turners are also available. For ease of bed making with one hand, specify a quilt with a blanket cover that replaces the bedspread, blanket, and top sheet. With a covered comforter, the bed can be made with one easy motion, an advantage to all users. Also, a short comforter is easier to manipulate than a bedspread extending to the floor.
People who have trouble turning over in bed may require satin sheets which are used with satin pajamas. People in pain can move more easily on satin sheets; some maintain that this is the only way they can sleep. Others, however, slip out of bed or have difficulty getting into bed with satin sheets and pajamas
Many of the accessories discussed in this chapter are more adaptable than universal, but the distinction becomes less necessary with movable accessories which can be inexpensively replaced.
Note: a.f.f. = above finished floor
Excerpted from Beautiful Universal Design: A Visual Guide, Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry, John Wiley & Sons, 1999; Used With Permission. © Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry.
