#ForAccessibleHomes: Sheron Carter's thoughts on homes for older age | #ForAccessibleHomes News

I have reached that fine age when you start to creak. Despite my physiotherapist's constant reminders to join a yoga or Pilates class, I have not yet made time for it. Getting in touch with my namaste in yogic tradition just isn't me.

So here I am. A creaking middle-aged woman with a long history of back problems. Instead of getting myself off to a class I spend endless hours watching home renovation programmes, doing gardening or DIY and fantasising about a career in interior design. I have moved home on average once every 10 years.

If I am granted the grace of older age, I imagine living in a single storey dwelling (don't say bungalow). The roof line would be cross gabled with a T-intersection or L-shaped cross hipped. The central doorway would lead into a spacious hallway with dark wood floors There would be dark wood contemporary doors on either side of the corridor leading to the main and second bedroom. Another door leading to a bathroom. My bedroom would have to include an en-suite bathroom with level access shower and gorgeous porcelain tiles.

The central hallway would lead to a large open plan space. Large dining table straight ahead. Kitchen space to the right, living room to the left. Back wall with two sets of bi-fold or patio doors giving views out to the garden from the kitchen and living room areas. A large mirror sitting above a low unit in between. Level access to garden. Paved patio. Just enough grass for weekly exercise and raised beds for the plants.

My mother thinks I am a restless nomad. She has lived in the same house for over 50 years and has no plans to move. She has knocked it about to create level access to a larger kitchen built into a small extension. Her choice of sage shaker style units, white metro tiles, oak worktop and tiled floor, has a welcoming traditional modern feel. The wall between the pantry and dining room was moved to create a downstairs bathroom with her beloved comfort toilet. She has earmarked the front room as a future bedroom, should she need it.

We both in our own way accept that the spaces we inhabit need to change. And we are fortunate enough to have some choices. When my mother comes to visit I want her to feel as comfortable in my home as she does in her own. But as I start to contemplate those changes I don't want to give up my love of design. It really irks me when little thought goes into the design of accessible homes. Accessible features are important but so is good design.

The design of our recently completed homes in Leeds brought a smile to my face. The accessible features in the two-storey homes do not shout at you. They are built on a similar footprint to a standard home but how the space and its fixtures are designed make the difference. There are three single-storey wheelchair accessible homes. I have seen some really poor designs which can make wheelchair accessible homes look institutional. It was pleasing to see how we built to this higher accessibility standard without compromising on aesthetics.

There are some well-designed kitchens and bathroom products coming to the market for wheelchair accessible homes but they can be really expensive. It would be great if high street price point brands had an accessibility range as standard.

Age and disability are the two things that affect us all. Whether mental, physical or sensory, someone with our circle of family or friends will face an environment that is designed to exclude them. I am proud to fly the flag for accessible homes and provide accessible and inclusive homes that can be shared and enjoyed by everyone.