DID YOU KNOW?

Currently, 13 percent of the U.S. population is over age 65. By 2030, 20 percent of the population will be comprised of seniors.

Minnesota Department of Human Services

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are you a contractor?
• Should we stay and renovate this house or build a new home?
• How do we pay Accessibility Design?
• How long does an average project take?
• We are building a home outside the Midwest five-state service region. Can you still help us?
• We already have an architect and/or contractor/builder. How can you help us?
• Can you work with my social worker/county waiver program?
• A family member was recently injured and I think some things need to be changed at home so we can take care of him/her. When should we contact you to assist us?
• Can we see Accessibility Design's work anywhere?
• Can you help us with purchasing products?

Q:  Are you a contractor?

A:  No. Accessibility Design is a design, consultation, products specification, and projects management firm. As we've grown and developed our services over the years, we've chosen not to expand into the contractor function so that we can remain your advocate during the construction phase of your project. We can, however, draw upon our thirteen years of experience in the industry and recommend appropriate contractors to bid on your project.
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Q:  Should we stay and renovate this house or build a new home?

A:  You are not alone. We are frequently asked this question during our client's initial contact with us. It's a complicated question without just one easy answer. That's why we offer a home access site visit as service. We provide an initial phase of consultation to assist you with this critical decision. During this site visit, we will review the advantages and disadvantages of staying in your home, construction opportunities and limitations of your current home, and the pro's and con's of investing in renovation of your current home versus applying that money to new construction.

We consider four important categories of information:

• How to maintain the greatest level of access, safety, ease of maintenance, and beauty for your needs and wants
• Level of investment and value for your money
• Your home's location including features such as public transportation and hospital access
• Emotional and personal issues regarding your home, your preparedness to relocate, and timeline for making a choice

While financial considerations are important, we consider your entire situation and make an informed recommendation. We'll work with you to discover what needs to change, and create a plan to make those changes.
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Q:  How do we pay Accessibility Design?

A:  Accessibility Design uses a letter of agreement to clearly spell out our fees and services and establish our working relationship with you. Our fees are based on hourly rates according to the service provided. We have varying rates for design and consultation time, project management time, and administrative and drafting time. Flat fee and percentage of construction cost agreements can also be established. Fees are billed monthly or by project phase.

We know your funding may come from a variety of sources including grants, specialty loans, workers' compensation, and insurance and are happy to work with you to make the process of payment as smooth as possible by providing additional reports and documentations as needed. We also offer funding source research and assistance as part of our services.
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Q:  How long does an average project take?

A:  Project time can and will vary from a few weeks to more than a year based on the services we provide, the scope of the construction, the level of detail required to convey the design information, the level of prior experience your team players have, the pace at which decisions are made, and of course, the weather and seasonal elements. See our catastrophic injury timeline and our worker's compensation information for general timing guidelines.
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Q:  We are building a home outside the Midwest five-state service region. Can you still help us?

A:  Yes! A plan review is appropriate for your situation. Send us a scaled drawing of the area to be renovated or the home to be constructed, and we then can have a phone conversation in which we will conduct a short needs assessment and discuss your project and begin a plan review. We then can remain "on the job" to field any questions you or your construction and design team may have during the course of the project. Many of our past clients have found this service to add great value to the success of their project.
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Q:  We already have an architect and/or contractor/builder. How can you help us?

A:  We pride ourselves on being team players and adding strength and reassurance to the decisions you and all the players on your team make. By having us on board, your contractor or designer doesn't have to have expertise in the field of access. Plan review; architectural interior, and assistive product research and recommendations; and site visit services may be helpful to you.
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Q:  Can you work with my social worker/county waiver program?

A:  Yes. Accessibility Design has a strong understanding of county waivered service programs and is familiar with the necessary process and procedures. Please have your case manager call us, and we can guide them through this process. We've worked on many of these projects, are trusted by key players involved and have been selected to participate in more formalized programs offered in the Twin Cities Area. We know how to expedite this complicated process, and can get the necessary information to your social worker and county review committee in a timely manner.
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Q:  A family member was recently injured and I think some things need to be changed at home so we can take care of him/her. When should we contact you to assist us?

A:  Now! At the point you know that your family member is going to live, but live with disabilities, we should be contacted. Although the tendency is to wait to make arrangements until the time of discharge, it's best to allow as much time as possible to avoid rushed decisions and unnecessary stress.

When you call, we will spend a short amount of time getting to know the potential project and review the current home, contacting key players (insurance company's representative, case manager, etc.) if any, and talk through possible directions that your project might take. For instance, we may discuss renovation, equipment installation, temporary housing, or building a new home. Once we have completed the necessary groundwork we can establish a time when we should reconnect and begin the actual project. See our catastrophic injury timeline for more information.
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Q:  Can we see Accessibility Design's work anywhere?

A:  Yes. Several of our past clients have opened up their doors to us to show our new clients examples of our work and services. Based on the type of your project (for instance, bathroom, kitchen, elevator installation, etc.) and your geographical location we can arrange a tour or show you photos to demonstrate our competency and gain your confidence.
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Q:  Can you help us with purchasing products?

A:  We help existing clients with products for projects we're working on. We are not specifically product representatives or vendors, but when asked to, we assist our clients by processing product orders on their behalf. Through our intimate knowledge of both the project and the assistive product, we assure both the success of the design solution and the installation of the product.
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