Below is Schakowsky’s Congressional Record statement:

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that today I am reintroducing the Inclusive Home Design Act. I hope that all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join us. I also want to thank my friend Marca Bristow of Access Living for her dedication and outstanding leadership. Finally, I want to offer my gratitude to all of the architects and community leaders who worked with me to craft this legislation. The Inclusive Home Design Act will greatly increase the number of homes that are accessible to people with disabilities. It is supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America and countless other national and local disabilities rights organizations. 

The Inclusive Home Design Act requires all newly-built single family homes receiving federal funds to meet three specific standards: an accessible route, or ``zero step,'' into the home, "32" clearance doorways on the main level, and one wheel chair accessible bathroom. These nationally mandated standards for homes built with federal dollars will close a major loophole in our current housing laws. 

Under current law, 95 percent of federally supported homes do not have to meet any accessibility standard. This creates unnecessary barriers for disabled veterans and other people with mobility impairments. It defies logic to build new homes that block people out when it's so easy and cheap to build new homes that let people in. Many states and localities have already incorporated visitability standards. This list includes Naperville, Bollingbrook, and Champagne, Illinois, Atlanta, Vermont, Texas, Kansas, Arizona and others. Also the United Kingdom passed a law in March 1998 mandating that every new home become accessible. A federal law will build on the momentum that has already been created here and abroad. 

The proposed legislation is based on the concept of Visitability, an affordable, sustainable and inclusive design approach for integrating basic accessibility features into all newly built homes and housing. Architects and builders will have latitude in how they comply with the act. For example, the zero step entrance can be placed at the front, side, or back of the home. The accessible route can even go through an attached garage. 

When homes are accessible, it benefits not only today's disability community, but also all of us who are friends and family members of people with disabilities. Often, the prohibitive cost of making an existing home accessible deprives seniors of their independence and pushes them into nursing homes. It generally costs thousands of dollars for a homeowner to retrofit their home. However, on average experts estimate that it only costs $300 to $400 to add visitability features into a new home. In addition, the zero step entrance requirements can be waived if the terrain makes compliance impractical. 

By making new homes accessible, we guarantee that many seniors can age at home instead of moving into expensive assisted living facilities. This will save taxpayer money and it will help improve the quality of life of our senior citizens. As the population becomes older, this will become more important. Fifty-eight percent of people over eighty years old suffer from physical impairments. In 2000, there were 30.5 million people between 65-84 years old. This number will grow to 47 million by 2020. Today, over 4.3 million individuals are over 85. By 2020, this number is projected to grow to 6.8 million. There is no question that the Inclusive Home Design Act will enable many of our seniors to remain at home. 

Homes that meet visitability standards are essential for people with disabilities and sensible because 3 out of 10 people will face a disability before they are 67, practical, and cost effective. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation, the Inclusive Home Design Act, into law.