There are many standards in home construction that people usually take for granted and don’t think about.  Unfortunately, some of those standards, like the height of light switches, can make it difficult for a person with a disability to move comfortably through a house.  For this reason, there are standards in place for designing homes for disability access.  Even if you yourself are not disabled, you may want to consider some of these accessibility designs just in case someone with a disability visits your home.  Or, if you do have a disability and want to build a new custom home, these are things you will probably want to consider as part of your design. Entrances and Doorways One important aspect of accessibility is the ease by which people can get into the house from the street.  This includes walkways without steps, unobtrusive thresholds, and wider doors that can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility assistance devices.  This is true for interior doors as well: you want to make them wide enough for easy passageway into and out of rooms. Interior Pathways and Open Spaces Another important part of accessibility is the way the interior space is laid out.  With modern open floorplans, it’s usually fairly easy for a disabled person to navigate the home even in a wheelchair, but keep this in mind when you’re designing other parts of the home.  That second and third bedroom off the hallway should be laid out in such a way that the pathway in and out is easy to navigate and doesn’t offer unnecessary obstacles. Control Features People who require the use of wheelchairs can often have issues reaching control features like light switches, thermostats, and electrical outlets.  For this reason, when you design the home for accessibility, consider the placement of all of these features.  Outlets might be installed a little bit higher, and light switches a little bit lower to help with reach.  Other control features like fuse boxes or even shower controls should also be installed where they are easy to reach.  This can be especially important in kitchens and bathrooms. Most disabled persons are quite adept at getting around in the world and managing their environments, but there are many things that can be done to make it just a little easier.  These are things that you can choose to incorporate into your custom home design even if you’re not disabled.  If you have any questions about the many options you have in a custom home design, or if you’re interested in finding a custom home builder with many years of experience building all kinds of homes, be sure to contact Harden Custom Homes at (239) 603-6083 or stop by our Model Home at 2818 Tropicana Pkwy W., Cape Coral, FL, 33993.