"Major setback on the road to accessible housing: There are no clear guidelines"

Moving – but where should you move to? That’s a question more and more people are asking themselves these days thanks to fierce competition in Germany’s housing market. The situation is even more intense and dire for people with disabilities because the country still has a long way to go on comprehensive accessible housing and urban development.

In this REHACARE.com interview, Dr. Michael Spörke explains the first step state governments and construction companies should take, describes the obstacles that must be overcome and reveals who benefits from accessible housing.

Dr. Spörke, what is the status quo in accessible housing?

Dr. Michael Spörke: Stakeholders have given the Social Association of Germany (Sozialverband Deutschland) ongoing feedback for many years, stating that there is a lack of accessible housing and that people with disabilities are unable to find affordable and accessible housing. This is where communities and local government would have to undertake the task of increasing the number of accessible housing. This is enormously important since those affected by this situation clearly indicate a need for accessible housing. Being a wheelchair user myself, I know that this is a true statement.

The UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 2006 and states that people with disabilities have a right to participation free from discrimination on the basis of disabilities as it relates to various areas of life. Where do we have to start to guarantee accessible housing in the near future?

Spörke: The first place to start is the State Building Code, which sets the standards and is responsible for future construction activities. As you probably recall, the members of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia (English: state legislature of the German state of NRW) have voted on the Building Modernization Act ("Baurechtsmodernisierungsgesetz") and passed a new State Building Code. Unfortunately, from our point of view, this made some aspects worse. Although we were able to prevent some points that would affect the road to accessible housing, what is ultimately missing - and this is something we view as a major setback on the road to accessible housing - is that there are no clear guidelines for accessible housing that also guarantee usability for wheelchair users. This aspect is still up in the air since the corresponding DIN standard for the construction of accessible buildings in NRW has not been adopted into the Technical Building Regulations. That is to say, there is still no foundation for architects, designers and builders to build on. The introduction of this DIN standard is still pending. However, the extent of it is still unclear. To promote accessible construction, we would have to adopt this DIN standard to the full extent. Meanwhile, we are very skeptical that the state is actually planning to implement it this way. This would be desirable and we continue to be hopeful.

What must construction companies consider as it pertains to "accessible" and "wheelchair accessible" construction?

Spörke: It is difficult to clearly distinguish the two terms. This is once more explicitly defined in the DIN standard for wheelchair accessible buildings. From our perspective - and that’s also where the definition of accessibility comes from - there is no clear separation between the two terms. In other words, accessible housing is also suitable for wheelchair users. At least, that would be the goal. The DIN standard for building codes would, in turn, determine what construction companies have to take into consideration. That’s also the reason why it is crucial that the DIN standard for the construction of accessible buildings is generally being adopted. It would then serve as the local legal framework for construction companies.

What are the benefits resulting from exclusive accessible housing construction in the future - both for people with disabilities and for society in general?

Spörke: If all future construction is accessible – as it relates to both private housing and public structures - , the environment and places of residence will have fewer obstacles. Aside from people with disabilities, this also benefits many other groups. Accessible housing can also help older people who might not have a disability but who have difficulties performing daily living tasks. What’s more, this type of housing can also prove useful to accommodate temporary constrictions, such as bone fractures or a family using baby strollers. There are a number of examples that show that accessible construction is forward-thinking. This is especially true in light of an aging population. Due to this fact, there is an increasing percentage of people who need an accessible environment but we are ill-prepared to deal with this circumstance. Accessible housing according to DIN standards would significantly help and alleviate the situation. That's also why they are urgently needed and absolutely mandatory.