Personalised Solutions for Universal Goals. A Home Adaptation Project for Disabled People in Italy

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Assistive technology
• Human-environment interaction

Background:

• Home adaptation aims to improve autonomy and wellbeing for disabled individuals and caregivers.
• Current protocols rely on checklists for normative compliance, often neglecting social, cultural, and economic factors.
• Rigid approaches limit the effectiveness of Universal Design in domestic settings for specific needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate an alternative approach to home adaptation for severely disabled people.
• To discuss the innovative strategies and tactics employed in the ADA project.
• To evaluate the impact of personalized home adaptations on inclusivity and sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Action-research project (ADA) focusing on home adaptations for severely disabled individuals.
• High level of personalization in assessment and design.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration, relational setting, and centrality of activities.

Main Results:

• The ADA project highlights the limitations of checklist-based protocols in addressing complex person-environment relationships.
• Personalized home adaptations, emphasizing interdisciplinarity and user activities, significantly improve efficacy.
• The project demonstrates a more productive approach to achieving inclusive and sustainable Universal Design goals.

Conclusions:

• Personalization is crucial for effective home adaptations, moving beyond rigid accessibility standards.
• The ADA project's strategies offer a model for inclusive and sustainable domestic environments for people with disabilities.
• Integrating social, cultural, and economic dimensions through personalized approaches enhances user autonomy and wellbeing.