Jan 5 2009
As the spirit of change - and proactive solutions to economic uncertainty - take root nationwide, homeowners are planning for the long term. While some choose to downsize, even more are opting to "age in place," or stay in their homes and remodel to meet their changing needs.
For some, that means creating greater accessibility. But how can they best plan their remodel projects to accommodate the space required for potential wheelchair or mobility equipment use?
One simple solution is the patented Visualizer(R) by The ABCs of Accessibility(R) inc. The Visualizer is a to-scale space planning tool designed to help architects, designers and space planners achieve universal and accessible design. The process could not be easier: Just glide the little blue guy in a wheelchair over the floor plans.
More technically put, the Visualizer is a three-dimensional manually operated representation of a person in a wheelchair used to demonstrate and visualize mobility equipment maneuverability through house plans. It identifies tight spots and wasted space before a single load of lumber hits your lot. Because the Visualizer isolates problem areas before construction begins, costly mistakes and delays can be avoided and homes can be built or remodeled with adequate accessibility.
The Visualizer Set consists of three interchangeable human figures illustrating a wheelchair footprint of 30 inches by 48 inches and a five-foot turning radius in eighth-inch, quarter-inch and half-inch scale. The transparent base, which represents the 60-inch turning radius, allows all plan details to remain visible.
Susan M. Duncan, founder and principal of The ABCs of Accessibility inc. and inventor of the Visualizer, with a background as a Registered Nurse and interior designer, came up with the idea for the planning tool after years of struggling to demonstrate wheelchair maneuverability to her design clients. The resulting tool proved invaluable, and other design professionals showed great interest in it. Today, hundreds of design students use the Visualizer to develop a feel for how to plan for future client needs.
The ABCs of Accessibility inc. has created a short animated video demonstrating the Visualizer's use and benefits; the video can be viewed at http://www.visualizerset.com. The company also offers self-inking quarter-inch and eighth-inch Visualizer stamps as companion design tools to the Visualizer Set. The stamps can be used on plans to indicate where potential change is needed to provide better accessibility.
"When I first saw the Visualizer Set I thought it was cool but I couldn't possibly need one because I draw in AutoCAD and can see whether or not space is adequate. I got my hands on a Visualizer Set and was shocked at how tight my spaces actually were. The Visualizer Set is something every architect, interior designer and builder needs to have." -- SG, Interior Designer