The Accessible Home: Designing for All Ages and Abilities

"One of the best new guides I have run across to achieve this goal is The Accessible Home: Designing for All Ages & Abilities, by Deborah Pierce. The structure of this handbook is smart"
- Meg White, REALTOR(R) Magazine

"I found myself paging through The Accessible Home, foraging for ideas for my own home--having forgotten that this was a specialized book only for those with disabilities."
- Lee Wallender, About.com Guide, Home Renovations

"As author, Deborah Pierce understands and conveys it, "universal design" aims at creating buildings and spaces that allow use by the disabled and able-bodied alike."
- The Detroit News

"A terrific guide"
- The Wall Street Journal

Millions of baby boomers are approaching the golden years. While it's a marker worth celebrating, it can also be a reminder of uncertain times ahead. How will I manage? Can I stay in my home?

The Accessible Home goes beyond ramps and grab-bars to help aging boomers, or those faced with disabilities, accomplish home accessibility on a deeper level. With a focus on closing the gap between home and homeowner, architect Deborah Pierce leads readers through the steps of universal design--from hiring the right architect to creating a pleasing space with the final details.

Plus, an insider's look at 25 case studies shows that the best design is built in, not tacked on, and that "accessible" can be both beautiful and functional. The Accessible Home empowers people of all ages and challenges them to create homes that restore independence and the grace of daily living.

DEBORAH PIERCE, AIA, is founding partner, project architect, and firm manager of Pierce Lamb Architects in Newton, Massachusetts. Architectural accessibility has been a special focus of Deborah's work since the firm's inception. As national chair of the AIA Advisory Group for Small Project Practitioners, she has raised awareness for Universal Design in private residences through the AIA's Small Project Design Awards program and a 2010 National Convention seminar. She is also a frequent lecturer on the hot topic of accessibility.