Learning Community
The UD Project Learning Community helps you understand universal design and home accessibility. Our FREE courses will help you avoid costly mistakes, whether you’re building a new home, modifying your existing home, or adapting how you do daily activities.
Learning happens in community. Our discussion spaces let you connect with our team and other members in similar situations.
540+ Members
Get access with no time limits.
Free Membership:
Our home accessibility courses and private discussion spaces are free for everyone. No catch. No pressure. Just information that will help you on your journey to living in a home that works better for your needs.
Continuing Education:
Occupational Therapy professionals can take our courses for 10 contact hours / 1.0 CEUs of professional development. Details about how to earn CEUs, learning outcomes, & course outlines can be found further down this page.
The UD Project is an Approved Provider of Professional Development with the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Our Courses:
Course 1:
The State of Accessible Housing
Learn how need far exceeds supply and become a better advocate for accessible housing.
Course 2:
Design Guidelines for Universally Accessible Homes
Discover the essential design elements for true universal accessibility when building new.
“I never considered how the home environment impacts relationships with others and how that affects quality of life simply because someone isn’t independent at home.” –Lauren, OT
Course 3:
Modifications for Non-Accessible Homes
Explore practical renovation options to improve accessibility in your existing home.
Course 4:
Adaptations for Everyday Tasks
Find products and techniques that make daily activities easier without modifying your home.
“I learned so much! Sometimes a simple adaptation can really make a difference. My clients really need this information to make their homes more welcoming and safer.” –Emily, OT
Course 5:
Collaborative Teams for Optimal Outcomes
Understand why designing for universal accessibility requires diverse expertise and teamwork.
Training:
Addressing Home Accessibility in OT Treatment
Feel confident recommending adaptations, modifications, or UD features in patient education & discharge planning.
“One of the most impactful things for me was learning how body mechanics impact how people have to do things in their homes, which can lead to more injuries in the future.” –Kayla, OT
Meet your instructor…
Sarah Pruett, MOT, OTR/L, CAPS
Sarah is a licensed Occupational Therapist who has specialized in physical rehabilitation since 2009 and environmental design since 2011. She has extensive knowledge about how the design of homes impacts everyday life in a wide range of situations.
Her husband Scott has a spinal cord injury, she’s part of Virginia’s Assistive Technology Advisory Council, and she has worked with several organizations in leadership roles to help them serve people with a wide range of impairments and disability types.
OTs: Earn CEUs!
Are you an Occupational Therapy professional? Fulfill a good amount of your professional development requirements by completing our Home Accessibility Courses. You can earn a total of 10 contact hours / 1.0 CEUs.
How to get yours:
1. Sign up for the Learning Community first. It’s free! You may review all of the course content before deciding whether or not to purchase continuing education credits.
2. Once you’re inside the Learning Community and logged in, look for an “OT CEUs” link near the top left. Click it!
How much?
CEUs for all 5 courses bundled together are $199.
1.0 AOTA CEUs / 10 Contact Hours
Completion Requirements:
You must meet these requirements to earn AOTA CEUs. We do not provide partial credit.
Learning Outcomes & Course Outlines:
These courses are ideal for practicing occupational therapists and OT students. Each is designed at an introductory educational level, but experienced practitioners will benefit due to the broad range of topics covered. Expand each course for learning outcomes and course outlines. Click the “Preview” links below for sample lessons.
Course 1: The State of Accessible Housing
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify four factors contributing to the lack of accessible housing in communities across the USA.
- Recognize three ways that inaccessibility can have a negative impact on someone’s life.
- Recognize the key difference between universal design and home modifications to educate clients, other professionals, and community stakeholders.
- Identify three barriers to the adoption of universal design.
Course Outline:
Introduction
The Lack of Accessible Housing
How Life is Affected without Accessibility
Home Modifications vs. Universal Design
Barriers to Adoption of Universal Design
How Life is Affected with Universal Design
Conclusion
Course 2: Design Guidelines for Universally Accessible Homes
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize the interaction between people, their home environment, and their activities as three equally important variables to consider in the design of any home, but especially for new construction.
- Recall three reasons why it’s important to consider 24 different areas of impairment that can be found on a population level when designing a universally accessible home.
- Identify two big reasons why there’s a difference between a home with universal design features and a universally designed home.
- Associate tasks that people do in ten different areas of a home with the design features and measurements that provide universal accessibility and ideal occupational performance.
- Recognize over 150 design elements necessary to make a home universally accessible, and why they are all important if a home is to be usable by a wide variety of people.
Course Outline:
Introduction
Design Guidelines: Parking and Entrances
Design Guidelines: Circulation
Design Guidelines: Kitchens
Design Guidelines: Bathrooms
Design Guidelines: Bedroom
Design Guidelines: Laundry Area
Design Guidelines: Additional Areas and Systems
Conclusion
Course 3: Modifications for Non-Accessible Homes
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize three common types of homes that contribute to the inaccessibility of our current housing stock.
- Identify dozens of common barriers in the status quo of home design and understand possible modifications that provide a solution for increased occupational performance.
- Recognize the interaction between people, their home environment, and their activities as three equally important variables to consider before doing any home modifications.
- Relate possible home modification solutions to the ability to perform everyday activities well.
Course Outline:
Introduction
Modifications in the Home Environment
Conclusion
Course 4: Adaptations for Everyday Tasks
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize the differences between universal design, home modifications, and adaptations as three unique but related approaches to increasing accessibility.
- Identify common barriers in the design of ten areas of the home and understand dozens of products or techniques that provide solutions for increased function.
- Identify dozens of adaptive products and techniques for safely and independently performing everyday activities throughout the home.
- Recognize how adaptive products and techniques can improve occupational performance when someone experiences one or more impairments.
Course Outline:
Course Introduction
Parking Areas
Route to Entrance and Entrances
Circulation: Moving Around the Home
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Bedrooms
Laundry
Additional Home Areas
Systems
Course Conclusion
Course 5: Collaborative Teams for Optimal Outcomes
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize what a universally accessible home is and identify two reasons why collaboration in the design process is necessary to achieve universal accessibility.
- Identify three stakeholders who need to be collaborative team members for successful universal design outcomes.
- Recognize what interprofessional collaboration is and identify ten barriers to collaborating effectively.
- Identify five ways to be an agent of change and advocate for successful interprofessional collaboration.
Course Outline:
Introduction
Successful Outcomes: Universal Accessibility
Collaboration: Who Should Have a Seat at the Table
Collaboration: Current Status
Collaboration: Barriers and What To Do About Them
Our Design Process: One Solution to Collaboration
Conclusion
Training Course: Addressing Home Accessibility in OT Treatment
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize the environmental factors as related to client factors to plan for home access interventions.
- Recognize an occupational therapist’s unique impact on a patient’s independence in preparing for discharge.
- Identify ways you can integrate product/technique adaptations, home modification recommendations, and/or universal design features to patients/families during treatment.
- Identify community resources that can be utilized in discharge recommendations to assist patients with the financial cost of home modifications.
Course Outline:
“I feel more prepared with these courses! My patients are often unaware of what’s available to them that can help them live more independent and safe lives.” –Brittany, OT