Over 7.4 million people in the United States live with an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD). In Colorado alone, according to Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), 127,000 people with I/DD have requested services, but many more remain uncounted. Nearly three-quarters of these individuals live with aging family caregivers, with at least 20,000 living with a caregiver over 60 years old. Adults with I/DD are especially vulnerable to the affordable housing crisis, and many are at risk of involuntary displacement or homelessness.

This is a population with distinct needs and circumstances, affecting the individuals and their families. Each person is unique, and adults with I/DD fall across a large spectrum of abilities and challenges. The opportunity is to create meaningful homes for individuals in this community. Common design elements are key and are based on principles of universal design and full accessibility.

In 2002, as a part of a five week session on Cutting Edge Cohousing for the Foundation for Intentional Community, Bryan addressed how the intentional communities movement and cohousing in particular is well positioned to address this population’s unmet need in a sustainable, safe, and happy environment. Caddis is now working with several groups to do just this.

Some of the issues with housing for adults with I/DD come from the long and difficult history of institutional affordable housing. In the past, group homes, for example, were considered the best approach to housing adults with I/DD. And to this day, government agencies may think first about what pencils the best and may rely on what people have done before.

As CHFA notes, “Just as in the neurotypical population, there is no one-size-fits-all housing solution for adults with I/DD. . . . When housing is universally designed to be more accessible to a population experiencing barriers, it improves access to high-quality housing for all Colorado residents.”

We have learned from Desiree Kameka Galloway, lead consultant at Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions. A nationally recognized expert on housing for the I/DD population, Desiree is co-author of the report A Place in the World: Fueling Housing and Community Options for Adults with Autism and Other Neurodiversities. Desiree has helped push our thinking about what’s possible for adults in this community.

We’ve also had the opportunity to chat with Monica Bear, disability services manager in Dane County, Wisconsin. Monica has worked throughout her career on supportive housing for those with I/DD. Monica says, “My work relates to building inclusive communities that are big enough and welcoming enough for everybody to make a contribution regardless of the level of support they need. My foundational principle is everybody can live and work in the community with the right level of support.”

We are excited now to be working with Broomfield Housing Alliance on a new rental multifamily attainable housing community. Located on Cottonwood Street in Broomfield, Colorado, the community will serve adults with I/DD. Cottonwood is under construction and will be ready for move-in by summer 2026.

In addition to approximately 40 individual units, the project will include a “common house,” similar to common houses in cohousing developments. This space will serve as the heart of the community. It will have a secured entry, community mail facility, and an elevator. There will also be dining areas, gathering spaces, and small living rooms for residents to socialize and meet with service providers.

As we are designing Cottonwood, we are working to incorporate the following design elements, all of which will support the I/DD community. It’s important to note that in a recent national survey, a majority of adults living with I/DD say they wish to live in their own home or apartment in the wider community, there is value in also offering specialized housing such as that offered at Cottonwood. The design principles below would apply equally across housing types.

Landscaping and Pedestrian Focus

According to CHFA, “living in a walkable neighborhood can enhance an individual’s independence and community engagement, making a property more appealing. Pedestrian-oriented design strategies can help individuals who have high support needs have greater freedom to walk independently in their neighborhood while staying safe from traffic.”

In addition to smart practices that we incorporate in many other projects (e.g., low water use, native and xeric plantings, minimal turf areas, perennial and pollinator flower beds, and edible landscapes), landscaping for adults with I/DD can include:

• Gathering places for groups as well as more private nooks for those who need quieter space or prefer to observe rather than join
• Use of images along with text on signs
• Wayfinding techniques
• Pedestrian orientation
• Continuous line-of-sight design
• Sensory gardens
• Meditation paths
• Contemplative gardens

Parking and Traffic

Because adults with I/DD have a low rate of vehicle ownership and because many people in this community rely on transportation services, parking and traffic should be designed to provide:

• Reduced number of parking spaces but adequate number for support people to park
• Greater number of accessible van and car stalls
• Pick-up/drop-off zones
• Safe vehicle circulation
• Traffic calming measures
• Greater number of parking stalls for bicycles and ebikes

Accessibility

Physical accessibility is also often important to adults with I/DD. Physical accessibility features include:

• Accessible paths throughout the development, including appropriate walking surfaces and weather protection for individuals in wheelchairs
• Ground-level units when possible
• Multistory buildings with need elevators (to accommodate different levels of mobility)
• Fully accessible bathrooms with room to accommodate a caregiver

Safety

Adults with I/DD are at a high risk of being abused by people looking to take advantage of them. Therefore, good design should include:

• A controlled single point of entry and exit
• Dispersion of adults with I/DD throughout a housing development so that there is easy surveillance by resident neighbors
• Key fobs, card readers, smartphone apps, which are easier to use than standard keys and which may allow for a higher degree of tracking who is accessing units

Activities

Rich community design will provide opportunities for nonverbal activities and hang-out spaces, both outdoors and indoors, including:

• Half basketball court
• Tether ball
• Horseshoe area
• Pickleball
• Bocce ball
• Mini-golf
• Outdoor movie viewing area
• Swings
• Outdoor water hookups for pet bathing
• Multipurpose room for movies, karaoke, and other interactive entertainment

Physically and Cognitively Accessible Individual Units

Privacy is a high priority for adults with I/DD, and some residents will have live-in caregivers. Design principles for individual units include:

• Two master bedrooms and en suite bathrooms for two-bedroom units (en suite units for live-in caregivers might also include mini-fridge and/or microwave)
• Functional living areas that are not necessarily spacious
• Larger bedrooms, bathrooms, and storage areas
• Durable and easily cleanable finishes throughout a unit, including in bathrooms
• More maneuvering space, especially in bathrooms
• Lowered countertops (if physical accessibility is needed)
• Open storage that is within reach
• Sound isolation between units to enhance acoustic privacy
• Natural daylight and sensory-friendly lighting that is easily controlled
• Soothing and pleasantly tactile colors and surfaces, rather than cold and sterile choices
• Direct or passive connection to the outdoors
• Private areas in the common house for social interaction to maintain privacy in the individual unit

Low Operational Costs

Many adults living with I/DD are also low income, so design that reduces operational costs, such as utilities, can be a real game changer. Energy efficiency as well as water efficiency are especially important features to include.

To learn more about designing for adults with I/DD, see The Kelsey’s “Housing Design Standards for Accessibility and Inclusion” and CHFA’s white paper on Neuro-Inclusive Housing.

As Monica says, “I once had someone define universal design as having everything you need available to you without having to ask for it. I so agree that thoughtful design of home, work, community, and daily routines increases opportunities for best life. I will always advocate for integration and inclusion as the path to a better life and well-being.”

To learn more about human-centered design in general and for other populations, check out our other posts in this series:

• “Human-Centered Design: Make the Built Environment Work for Everyone”
• “Neuroscience and Architecture: What Science Teaches Us about Designing Buildings for Mental Health and Well-Being”
• “Ideas at Play: How Adults Can Design For Children”
• “Trauma-Informed Design: Inclusive Buildings for All”