Universal Design and the Home Exchange Economy

Over at Home Exchange Travels blog the wisdom of Inclusive Travel has surfaced in this reflection on Universal Design and the demographics behind the fact it has become mainstream. From, "Is Your Home Accessible" we see references to UD and Visitability:

Retired people might be your most flexible home exchange partners. By definition, someone who is retired is not tied to a work schedule or subject to limited vacation time. By the time the average American can afford to retire, young children are out of the home so those who are retired tend to have very flexible schedules...

Home exchange is a great way for retirees to travel, and all swappers should welcome offers from flexible, mature retired people. But even if you are eager to exchange with older travelers, your home itself may deprive you of the opportunity to exchange with seniors.

The June 19th post is a practical follow-on post "Making Your Home Accessible" again with the same insights:

Whether senior citizens, small children or people with disabilities, many home exchangers may be unable to swap with you if your home is not accessible. Stairs, or even a few steps, are the prime culprit in denying access, but there are other hazards which can make your home unsafe or totally unusable for certain exchangers.

Read the complete entries:

http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-your-home-accessible.html

http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/2009/06/making-your-home-accessible.html