RL Mace Universal Design Institute

09/08/2026

Part of this grantee’s success for this activity was participating in someone else's annual event that had established a track record, had successful outreach channels, and was gathering the right people.

AARP Community Challenge Grant in Action!

Ottawa County Senior Resources, in Oak Harbor, Ohio, was excited to showcase their Universal Design & AARP HomeFit initiative at our annual Senior Day & 15 Over 60 Senior Hall of Fame, where 385 people attended this year’s event!

Thanks to support from an AARP Community Challenge Grant, our team staffed a Universal Design and HomeFit booth where attendees could learn about practical ways to make their homes safer, more accessible, comfortable, and supportive of independence as they age.

With 385 people in attendance, Senior Day provided a great opportunity to introduce older adults, caregivers, families, and community partners to the idea that even small, affordable changes at home can make a big difference in helping people remain safely and independently in the homes they love.

We are grateful to AARP for investing in Ottawa County and helping us bring Universal Design and HomeFit education directly to our community. ❤️🏡

One important message: Our homes should work for us at every age and stage of life!

07/03/2026

From UDI to you...we wish you a safe and happy 4th of July! For resources and interesting reads about how to make your home safe, hop onto our blog: https://www.udinstitute.org/blog

05/21/2026

We have long explored the advantages that home technology can bestow on older adults. From family communications, to reminders, list making, weather and news, security and much more, home tech can be a difference maker, especially when used in a home that has age friendly features.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) might play a much bigger role; in health and home health, socialization and companionship, safety, security and beyond. But the introduction of AI comes with many concerns as well: privacy, replacement of people with machines, assurance that all actions are in the best interest of residents, and oversight.

Check out this article, which takes a look at many of these issues. https://aginginamerica.news/2026/04/14/ai-enters-the-elder-care-arena/

05/11/2026

This comes from Nicole Julia, an occupational therapist and longtime advocate of Universal Design. She completed her doctoral research in accessible and Universal Design and recently launched a Kickstarter for her children’s book, Flora’s Fish‑For‑All Pier, which introduces disability allyship and universal/accessible design concepts, through a story about a flamingo who rallies her town to build a universal fishing pier where everyone belongs.

Here is the direct link to the kickstarter where you can learn all about the book:

Empowering kids to be disability allies and community builders: because we all deserve to participate fully.

04/21/2026

We have long pointed out the benefits of bidets, primarily for people who have difficulty in taking care of their toilet hygiene adequately. That is still true.
And while bidets have been extensively used worldwide for many years, they finally seem to have gone mainstream in the US. People likely recognize the general improved comfort, convenience, and cleaning that bidets convey.
Seems like a good UD product to me: serving people with and without impairments greatly. We haven't surveyed bidets for relative ease of use, simplicity of operation, and ease of installation; so we can't offer any product recommendations, but we can only hope that more of us find a way to use them.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-bidet-toilet-seat-washlet/

04/02/2026

Doug Mahoney, the home improvement expert at Wirecutter, discusses the renovations and best modifications to consider.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/wirecutter-show-podcast-20260311-aging-in-place/