July 8, 2019

Being forced to move because of changing life circumstances is something no homeowner ever wants to face. Equally disconcerting is experiencing discomfort, fear or a lack of independence in one’s own home.

Fortunately, manufacturers and designers are working to ensure that everyone can live comfortably in their homes for longer and throughout challenging life stages like pregnancy, injury or growing older. KBB spoke with four manufacturers about how they approach this growing idea in design and where they hope the industry will take it next.

KBB: Why is it important to your company to offer ADA-compliant or universal products?

“Kitchens are an investment that can last more than 20 years. Blum products are guaranteed for the lifetime of a cabinet, and we put a lot of research into making sure that product is usable for all ages and abilities. We don’t know what may happen to us as we age, and the way we move in our kitchens at 40 is very different from the way we move around in that same kitchen in our 60s and beyond.”

– Karen Smith, brand communications coordinator, Blum

“Elkay currently offers a full line of products and sinks that are designed to comply with every aspect of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility guidelines. We are dedicated to making it easier for businesses, schools and healthcare facilities to meet the requirements of federal law by equipping sites with products that make facilities accessible to everyone.”

– Todd Morrison, product manager at Elkay

“MTI‘s design philosophy has always focused heavily on the bather and providing vessels and therapies that will provide true wellness therapy, including multiple types of water therapies as well as additional sensory therapies. It is only a natural and logical consequence that we would develop and offer products that are ADA compliant and also products that would support universal, or multi-generational, design.”

– Michael Kornowa, director of marketing, MTI Baths

“It is important to us to offer ADA-compliant and universal products because it is a matter of inclusiveness. Modern design and interiors must consider the needs of everybody, not just the needs of a narrowly defined group.”

– J. Ulrich Hauser, CEO, Schwinn Hardware

Elkay’s ADA-compliant Quartz Classic sinks with the Perfect Drain are a stylish and accessible option for aging-in-place kitchen design planning. These sinks are offered in four colors with a sleek surface that can coordinate with any décor, while also remaining functional with 5½-6 ½-in.-deep bowls for ease of reach and accessibility.

KBB: How do your products help contribute to a safer and easier-to-use household? 

“Blum owns the rights to what’s called an Age Exporer suit, which was developed by geriatric researchers at the Meyer-Hentschel Institute. Our research and development team utilizes this suit when testing new products to ensure they are usable for all abilities. This suit simulates decreased hand sensitivity and arthritis, which can make it tough to grab knobs or pulls to open drawers.”

– Smith, Blum

“Size, material and style are considered for each of our ADA-compliant products to ensure they are safe and easy to use within a household, school, business or healthcare facility and meet every aspect of the ADA accessibility guidelines.”

– Morrison, Elkay

“Universal or multi-generational design can best be described as smart design. These are designs and product selections that recognize the needs and desires of those who will be using them. MTI‘s philosophy of design with purpose incorporates this very approach. As a result, we offer a large array of products, tubs, sinks and shower bases that would fit in perfectly with the multi-generational design approach.”

– Kornowa, MTI Baths

“Our products can contribute to a safer and easier-to-use household by design, function and manufacturing. From antimicrobial finishes to ergonomically detailed shapes, from the use of water-based lacquers and paints to recycled aluminum and the use of renewable energy in the factory – there are many aspects that we consider for Schwinn products to make them safe and easy to use.”

– Ulrich, Schwinn Hardware

The Schwinn Z204 from Schwinn Hardware is a minimalist edge pull with an integrated handle. Schwinn Z204 can be used with one or multiple fingers because the pull area is thickened to create volume for the hand or fingers to hold onto, and the sides are well rounded to avoid any accidental hard contact.

KBB: Where do you hope universal design in the kitchen and bath will go in the near future?

“Universal design is such an important topic that deserves to be a standard in design because we never know what life will throw at us. If it were more of a standard and something were to happen, the stress of our home not being set up would be one less worry. In addition, since Americans move frequently, kitchens would already suit the changing needs of the different users throughout the lifetime of that kitchen.

– Smith, BLUM

“As we look to the future, we hope all spaces are thoughtfully designed for all people. For the ADA-compliant products at Elkay, we continue to innovate with safety and ease at the priority of design, while also integrating trend-setting styles and popular demand to make sure these products are sought after and seamlessly integrate into any modern space. As we progress, we know that ADA-compliant products do not have to sacrifice style to achieve compliant functionality, so we are aiming to offer more colors, materials and innovative designs.”

– Morrison, Elkay

“With a growing number of people seriously pursuing holistic wellness and a significantly increasing aging population, I believe that designers, architects and builders have a wonderful opportunity to increase awareness among consumers of the many possibilities and guide them in their selection. This will make them even more valuable as they work with their clients in designing spaces that will promote wellness in their daily living in a holistic way, both now and for the future.”

– Kornowa, MTI Baths

“We hope universal design gets the recognition from everybody in the design community it deserves. Inclusiveness is key to successful design, as it means taking the needs of the people the design is for seriously. That’s how good design can contribute to a better world.”

– Ulrich, Schwinn Hardware

MTI Baths offers new wall-mounted sinks specifically designed for tight spaces and accessible bathrooms and can be installed at ADA-compliant heights. The sinks are manufactured in SculptureStone, a solid material that is 75 percent organic and 100 percent solid throughout.