Why Visitability is included

One of the things in the proposal for a Waukesha County Housing Trust Fund is the requirement for Visitability in new single-family homes funded by the Trust Fund. Visitability is the idea that people with mobility disabilities should be able to visit their families, friends, and neighbors. Too often people with disabilities are isolated from the community even if their own home is fully accessible-they cannot visit their family, friends, and neighbors. They cannot go to dinners, parties, picnics, or even simply to hang out and play games.

Visitability is surprisingly basic and inexpensive to do-a way to get in, a way to travel around on the main floor, and a way to use the bathroom. So that's simply one zero-step entrance with path of travel exterior and interior with hallways and doorways wide enough for a wheelchair and an usable half-bathroom.

A good site for Visitability information is Concrete Change and AARP has written a paper on it.

You can also watch a video of a motivational speaker, "The Strength Coach," discussing Visitability.