Authored by Kyle Seem, Collective Impact Manager, The Kelsey
The housing needs of people with disabilities continue to go unmet. Twenty-six percent of people in the US have a disability, but less than 6% of housing is accessible. A solution to this housing crisis is to build more disability-forward housing: housing that is inclusive, accessible and affordable. With the right tools, the right partners and the right incentivization, this is not only possible, it could be the future of housing.
What are the Inclusive Design Standards?
One tool that will help create a more disability-forward housing future is the Inclusive Design Standards (IDS), a set of design recommendations developed by The Kelsey, Mikiten Architecture and the Inclusive Design Council. These recommendations address every phase of a housing project, from pre-design all the way to operations. They are cross-disability, meaning they don’t focus on specific diagnoses but rather support different access needs, such as mobility and height or cognitive access. Most recommendations are low- to no-cost, especially when incorporated early in the design process. These recommendations go beyond code compliance. The ADA has essential requirements, but it offers the bare minimum when addressing the needs of people with disabilities, and really only focuses on mobility and sensory disabilities. This is where Inclusive Design comes in and why it is so important.
Inclusive Design benefits everyone because it creates environments that are usable by people with diverse needs, abilities and backgrounds. An example of Inclusive Design might be thoughtful wayfinding that includes words, numbers, Braille, colors and pictograms, helping a wide variety of people with varying needs. By considering a broad range of human differences — such as age, physical ability, chronic health conditions, hearing and vision and cognitive ability — Inclusive Design removes unnecessary barriers and enhances the experience for all users, not just those with specific needs.
Cities Incorporating Inclusive Design
Cities play an essential role in advancing affordable, accessible and inclusive housing for their residents of all ages with and without disabilities. Cities nationwide are making bold steps to incorporate the IDS or other disability-forward requirements into their RFPs (Request for Proposal) and NOFAs (Notice of Funding Availability), and creating incentives for Inclusive Design. By incentivizing Inclusive Design in housing funding criteria, cities can provide developers with an array of ways to be more competitive for funding and build better housing for all.
Here are five ways cities can create more accessible and inclusive housing:
- Create a set of design or livability standards
- Embed disability-forward solutions into existing design or livability standards
- Incentivize or require the use of existing standards, such as the IDS, in funding criteria
- Increase the required number of units that meet accessible code requirements
- Require or incentivize partnerships with people with disabilities to gain feedback in the design phase
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio Housing Trust in San Antonio, Texas has created a set of Multi-Family Universal Design Standards using recommendations from The Kelsey and a committee of people with various disabilities to create more accessible housing. The standards cover site design, building components and dwelling units, and specify several requirements that make housing more accessible.
Teton County and the Town of Jackson, WY
The Housing Department of Teton County and the town of Jackson, Wyoming have an existing set of Livability Standards to help ensure new housing is functional and comfortable for future inhabitants. In an upcoming iteration, they plan to incorporate some of the elements from the Inclusive Design Standards, adding to their existing requirements so that new builds and rehabs will be more disability-forward.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. offered maximum points in its 2023 QAP (Qualified Allocation Plan) for projects that receive Inclusive Design Standards certification at the Silver, Gold or Platinum level. They awarded additional points for projects in which all units met the requirements for Type A (accessible) units or for projects that included twice the required number of accessible and sensory units as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
San Jose, CA
The City of San Jose Housing Department offered extra points in their 2023 NOFA for those seeking funding for affordable housing if they committed to doing two things: providing an additional 10% of accessible units beyond the Building Code minimum, and/or conducting an Inclusive Design Workshop with people with disabilities to provide feedback and recommendations on building design.
With cities increasing inclusive design in their housing, new housing will be more accessible than ever before. But whether cities intervene or not, there are a handful of values designers, architects, developers and builders should consider to support more inclusive and accessible housing:
- Ensuring people with disabilities are consulted during design is a great way to gain feedback from people with lived experience. Going a step beyond that and including people with disabilities on the design team or in leadership roles brings essential firsthand insights that help ensure buildings are genuinely accessible and inclusive, fostering a more equitable and just community.
- Keeping in mind that disability intersects with all other communities impacted by the housing crisis. Disability amplifies challenges that people already face regarding affordability and accessibility. People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by housing issues due to the need for accessible living spaces, affordable housing and supportive services. These needs become especially critical as they intersect with other marginalized identities, including race, gender, socioeconomic status and age.
- Maintaining forward momentum: every step forward is a step in the right direction. The more those who create housing incorporate Inclusive Design elements into their designs, the more accessible housing will actually be. Even small steps can lead to significant impact.
Cities have the opportunity to transform the lives of people with disabilities, whether via financial incentivization or by simply turning recommendations into requirements for more accessible, inclusive housing. Cities should not undertake this work alone, but they must take the lead and invest in partnerships with people with disabilities and disability-focused housing organizations. By prioritizing accessible housing, cities can not only meet a pressing need, but they can also lay the groundwork for fairer, more resilient and more inclusive communities that benefit everyone.
Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
In partnership with the American Planning Association, NLC released the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook: Solutions, Systems, Partnerships. The playbook is a resource designed to support communities in navigating their housing supply challenges.
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