News from Northwest ADA Center – Idaho

The Cost of Disability

Disability is expensive; some might call the extra cost of living that accompanies disability a tax on those often least able to afford anything extra. Data from four nationally representative surveys, found that adults with disabilities require, on average, 28% more income to achieve an identical standard of living as a household of the same size and income where no one has disabilities. That’s on top of what is already covered and provided by government programs offering disability benefits.

Beyond this extra tax, when folks with disabilities are denied housing or accommodation, they face additional inequities. As we design and build new subdivisions, we all need to demand a basic level of ‘visitability’ for single-family dwellings.

This makes neighborhoods livable, affordable and welcoming to everyone as their needs evolve. 

The average cost of designing visitability at the front-end of a residential subdivision is near zero; it’s essentially a civil engineering and architectural decision to create at least one zero-step entry, extra studs for adding grab bars and a useable route to a bathroom on each main floor. The cost to remake an inaccessible home visitable to a resident or guest can reach into tens of thousands of dollars per home. 

We will all be seniors or seniors-in-training (if we’re lucky) some day. At some point, we will all face temporary or permanent physical barriers. When we know better, we should do better. Let’s work to improve building codes to build homes with accessibility in mind.

For more information about the ADA contact:

Dana Gover, MPA, and ACTCP Certification, ADA Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator 

For more information about ADA Technical Assistance visit the NW ADA Center Idaho website: nwadacenter.org/idaho

Email:dananwadacenteridaho@gmail.com
Phone: Voice and Text 208-841-9422
Idaho Relay Service: 7