Visitability Means:

- One zero step entrance on an accessible path of travel from the street, sidewalk or driveway

- Doorways that provide 32 inches clear space throughout the home's main floor and hallways that provide 36 inches of clear width

- Basic access to a half or (preferably) full bath on the main floor


Visitability Features Can Be Low-Cost

A low-cost wooden ramp leads from the driveway, up a graduated dirt lawn topped with paving stones, to the back door of a small grey home. A blue and silver wheelchair-accessible van sits in the driveway. The house is surrounded by a variety of garden shrubs and trees. A close view of a wooden pathway leading to a white door. The path is bordered by paving stones. A green-shirted man travels in a power wheelchair down the wooden ramp toward the driveway. A green-shirted man travels in a power wheelchair down the wooden ramp toward his van. Red leaves of a tree are visible in the foreground, and green and purple shrubs border the lawn and driveway.

This starter home has an added low-cost ramp creating an accessible path from the driveway, up the graded lawn, to the back door.

While some Visitability features can be added when necessary, other features can be too difficult to add if a home hasn't been built with Visitability in mind. In this home, the original doorway is too narrow to allow easy entry for wheelchair users, furniture and large appliances, emergency personnel, and other needs.

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