The completion of the first Habitat for Humanity home to use the principles of universal design, and of 10 other houses in the New Homestead Place neighborhood, will be celebrated in a special ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25, in Chapel Hill . The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University worked with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County to revise floor plans and make product selections to ensure that the house met universal design standards and that several of the other houses had universal design features.
Media are welcome.
The homes are occupied and will be available for viewing at the discretion of the new homeowners. The intent of universal design is to make products, communications and the built environment usable by people with different levels of physical ability at little or no extra cost. U.S. Congressman David Price will take part in the ceremony being held at the New Homestead Place neighborhood, along with Mayor Pro Tem of Chapel Hill Lee Pavao, Mayor Mike Nelson of Carrboro, and Orange County Commissioner Margaret Brown. Debra Morgan of WRAL-TV5 will emcee. Eleven new Habitat families will be on hand to accept a hammer, a symbol of the work ahead of them, from the New Homestead Place families who have just officially closed on their homes.