When people cannot use the cabinets or shelves in their homes because they cannot reach them effectively – because they are beyond their physical abilities to do so – their homes are ineffective for them. This is unacceptable. People need to be able to use their home and all of the components within them – and use them easily and safely.

Even when they can be reached because someone can touch them with their fingertips, they still are unusable if a person cannot retrieve an object from the shelf or cabinet and hold onto it without dropping it while they move it to where they want to use it. This is a case of all four major aspects of home design – accessibility, comfort, convenience, and safety.