Introduction
 Elements of Visit-ability
 Contemporary Housing Design
Advantage of Visit-ability
 Why Hasn't visit-ability Gainde Wider Acceptance?
Costs of Visit-ability
 Case Studies
Advocacy Strategies
Recent Visit-ability Initiatives
Conclusion
Source Cited/Appendix/Acknowledgement

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Figure 5: A great example of a Visit-able home. The ramp at the front entrance blends seamlessly in with the rest of the house.

Along the continuum of access opportunities presented by this list of contemporary housing strategies, Visit-ability lies at the midpoint. Visit-ability is clearly a much less comprehensive standard than either accessibility or universal design. The RERC on Universal Design at Buffalo views Visit-ability as a major first step toward universal design on the neighborhood level since the ease of applying Visit-ability is so much greater. At least during the foreseeable future, far more Visit-able homes will be constructed in most neighborhoods than accessible or fully universally designed homes.

Visit-ability focuses on the three structural features most essential for a person with mobility impairments to visit or live in a home at least temporarily (and possibly permanently) depending on an individual's needs. If included during design and planning, these features are extremely cost-efficient and provide advantages (and often added value) to non-disabled consumers as well.

Like Concrete Change, we believe that much of the responsibility for seeing Visit-ability promoted in the community will rest squarely with housing advocates and consumers. Whether individuals, housing developers or government agencies, they must realize that Visit-ability is a viable option and actively work to see it instituted.

While in some municipalities, Visit-ability is enforced by ordinances that cover most housing built with public funds, it is important to stress that for the most part, Visit-ability is still a voluntary standard that can be used in any type of housing not yet covered by accessibility regulations. In many cases, a plan to include Visit-able units can also be an asset in finding and securing public funding for construction of a housing project.

Visit-ability does not represent a substitute for the legal mandate of full accessibility. Rather, Visit-ability expands the application of accessible design in a wider range of housing. It makes houses relatively easy to adapt in the future, allowing current residents to remain in their homes as they age, rather than being forced to move as more features become necessary to maintain functional independence.

Visit-ability provides benefits to a wide range of users, including those with disabilities, their nuclear family, extended family, friends, and relatives who may need to use wheelchairs or other adaptive equipment. If we accept these arguments, the movement towards inclusion of Visit-able features in all new single-family housing seems to be a win/win proposition and it raises the question:

"Why hasn't Visit-ability gained wider acceptance?"