Home modifications and repurposing: perspectives on the accessibility, affordability, and attractiveness

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Science
• Occupational Therapy
• Universal Design

Background:

• Despite advancements in assistive devices and universal design, affordability and attractiveness remain barriers to home modifications for individuals with disabilities.
• Repurposing existing home fixtures and spaces offers a potential solution to these challenges, making accessibility more attainable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather insights into problems and solutions for home modifications.
• To identify how consumers and professionals implement repurposing for accessible, affordable, and attractive home environments.

Main Methods:

• A convergent parallel design study involving focus groups.
• Participants included consumers with mobility/visual limitations and home modification professionals (n=8 each).
• Focus groups rated images of repurposed home spaces based on accessibility and attractiveness using Likert scales.

Main Results:

• Key accessibility issues identified include high contrast needs, fixture heights, doors, and flooring.
• Consumers prioritized attractiveness more than professionals.
• Participants were receptive to repurposing but focused on adaptations.

Conclusions:

• Home modifications, particularly repurposing, enhance accessibility.
• Professional recommendations for modifications are most effective when individualized and collaborative.
• Focus group data can inform future home modification research and practice.