Welcome to the online home for the Visitability Initiative Project.

Visitability is an affordable, sustainable and inclusive design approach for integrating basic accessibility features into all newly built homes and housing.

The Visitability Initiative is based on the conviction that inclusion of basic architectural access features in all new homes is a civil and human right and improves livability for all. The Initiative is a collaboration of the Idea Center and Concrete Change

Founded by Eleanor Smith of Atlanta, GA, Concrete Change has been a leader in advocating for and otherwise promoting visitability for many years. The Visitability Initiative includes training, awareness, and research to develop visitability demonstration projects and promote this innovative initiative.

Project Director Jordana Maisel

Frequently Requested Documents that Relate to this Project

Existing State Visitability Laws (HTML)

   Existing Local Visitability Laws (HTML)

  Existing Local Visitability Laws (Microsoft Excel)

   Proposed Visitability Initatives (HTML)

License for use:  The above documents may be used for presentation or publication, provided that no significant changes to the data are made, and that the following line accompanies each instance of presentation or publication:

© 2003 Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDeA).  www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea.  Used with permission.

For additional information about these documents, please contact: Jordana Maisel.

Publications that relate to this project

Visit-ability: an Approach to Universal Design in Housing, is a 48-page resource offering a complete overview of visitability requirements, the philosophy of the initiative, and resources in United States.  The book  contains "best practice" case studies highlighting successful implementation of specific visitability projects in several different communities nationwide.

This booklet was compiled and developed as a publication of the R.E.R.C. on Universal Design at Buffalo, with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity chapters in both Buffalo, N.Y. and Rochester, N.Y.  The grass-roots advocacy group Concrete Change in Atlanta, Georgia provided valuable assistance, and funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (N.I.D.R.R.).

Visit-ability: a Computer Based Tutorial, is a computer-based tutorial designed to promote and educate tutorial participants on Visit-ability and community action projects that support the development of visitable housing.

Universal design on the community level permits full access to social participation in community affairs and interaction with neighbors. Visitability is an important step toward making universal access to community life a reality. This tutorial provides a basic understanding of the concept of visitability, including good practice examples and cost estimates for visitable features. It describes advocacy strategies for developing visitability projects in local communities. Contact information for organizations that can assist in promoting them is also provided.

    Click Here to Begin Visit-ability Tutorial

    Click Here to Begin PowerPoint Presentation

Visitability as an Approach to Inclusive Housing Design and Community Development:

A Look at its Emergence, Growth, and Challenges

As the population ages and faces a greater number of physical disabilities, housing and community design must be re-examined. This research explores the growing need for accessible housing in the United States and the recent emergence of visitability as an affordable and sustainable design strategy aimed at increasing the number of accessible single family homes and neighborhoods. Both a qualitative and quantitative methods approach was utilized to study the evolution of accessible housing policy in the United States, the history and fundamental principles of visitability, and the number and diversity of visitability initiatives and programs. The research explores existing theories on innovation diffusion to help understand trends in the visitability movement. The research also examines the challenges and controversies currently surrounding the visitability movement and potentially threatening its future success.

Click here to download PDF

Click here to download MS Word version

Visitability Listserv

From 1999-2004, the visitability Initative was funded by the United States Department of Education through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, through Rehabilation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design at Buffalo

No endorsement should be assumed by N.I.D.R.R. or the United States Government for the content contained on this website.

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