When disability strikes it impacts not only the person immediately affected but the whole family unit. From the moment an incident occurs, life changes irrevocably for everyone. Both life in the present and dreams for the future often have to be set aside and replaced by a new set of priorities that centre around the care of the disabled person. Each client and each family have specific and individual requirements. Whilst, on occasions, underlying medical conditions might appear to be similar, needs vary and are often precise and exacting. The challenge for the architect is to understand the physical and emotional needs of the client and the family unit, then to interpret those requirements into a bespoke solution. In order to understand the criteria and develop the brief the architect needs to invest time with the client, the client's family and the specialists supporting the family.
