Jim Costello is a Managing Partner and Senior Access Specialist with Affordable Adaptive Solutions LLC, a Pittsburgh firm specializing in barrier-free design, consultation, and accessibility contracting.
Mr. Costello has over 30 years of experience as a hands-on consultant, designer, educator and recognized expert in the field of environmental accessibility. Drawing from his real-world, personal experiences as a wheelchair user, he brings a first-person perspective to each project.
Jim is extensively involved in the tri-state area rehabilitation and assistive technology community, working closely with educators and students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. He has also been a presenter and panelist at regional and national forums on universal and barrier free design.
Working with the talented team of designers and technicians at AAS, Jim has been at the cutting edge of adapting the latest innovations in “smart home” technology for use as affordable environmental control. The team has designed and provided, cutting edge voice activated home controls for nationally recognized organizations including “Homes for Our Troops” which provides fully accessible new homes for disabled veterans and their families nationwide.
Jim has served as a court appointed expert on multiple trust and guardianship cases dealing with residential accessibility for clients of all ages. Strongly committed to advocacy for the independence of persons with disabilities, he served as a board director for local disability organizations as well as a member of the City of Pittsburgh Planning Commission. He provides case review and expert witness services in cases involving personal or workplace injuries, as well as consultation and legal services for ADA-related matters. Jim is also actively involved in developing national programs for the promotion of “Aging in Place” strategies that provide options for seniors who wish to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.
Recently, Jim became a member of the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center’s Community Partners Network and our firm was also selected as a sub-recipient for a multi- year HUD research grant awarded to the Home Innovation Research Lab (a division of the National Association of Home Builders). The grant brings together national experts from universities and the private sector to develop innovative solutions and best practices in improving accessibility of semi-detached housing units.
Jim treasures his children and grandchildren and enjoys working with people of all backgrounds, sharing his experience and knowledge to make the built environment a safer and more user- friendly place for seniors and people with disabilities.
To contact Mr. Costello, call the AAS offices at 412-406-8345
Or send an email to: access4all@aol.com