Meeting the Needs of Visually Impaired People Living in Lifetime Homes

ABSTRACT

This article explores perceptions on the suitability and effectiveness of Lifetime Homes standards (LTHS) for those with visual impairment in Northern Ireland. LTHS are a series of mandatory United Kingdom public-sector housing design interventions, providing a model for ensuring accessible and adaptable homes throughout an occupant's life span. An aging demographic with increasing incidence of diabetes has led to rising numbers of elderly, visually impaired people wanting to remain in their homes for longer. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 key stakeholders and thematically analyzed. Although findings show that employing LTHS offers benefits to visually impaired residents, shortcomings were also identified. Evidence indicates a need for policy makers, health-care professionals, and housing associations to modify practices to better meet the housing needs of visually impaired people. Findings may also be applicable to those with other impairments and disabilities in relation to housing for elderly residents.

KEYWORDS:

• Lifetime Homes
• visual impairment
• housing standards
• aging in place

Notes

1 Housing associations are not-for-profit organizations that rent homes to people on low incomes.

2 NIHE is Northern Ireland's strategic housing authority. They provide improvement grants to tenants and homeowners while also acting as landlords to 89,000 social housing dwellings. They also support and work in conjunction with housing associations to provide social housing.

3 A turned-up edge on a flat surface.

4 Building regulations are statutory requirements that aim to guarantee that government policies and legislation relating to the built environment are implemented. The equivalent to Part R in England and Wales is Part M alongside Part S in Scotland.

5 The Department for Social Development (DSD) is part of the NIHE and is responsible for urban regeneration and housing. They provide design standards which must be adhered to by organizations who are building social housing and included within these are space requirements.