Life in a wheelchair is not easy. Your mobility is constrained and you are dependent on others for your travel and movement. While mobility vehicles like mobility scooters, wheelchairs and powerchairs help in getting you independence in travel, these vehicles do have their limitations, especially related to the space they need for their movement.
Using such vehicles can make your life comfortable outside the home, but the same within your home can be a matter of concern with the cramped space. This is why it is necessary to accommodate your mobility requirements in the architectural plan of your home and make it handicap accessible.
Here are 9 workable tips from Scootaround on how you can ensure that your home offers you the freedom to use mobility vehicles freely without any hindrance.
Table of Contents
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance
The entrance to your home will be the first thing that you encounter while using a mobility vehicle. This is why the entrance needs to support your vehicle. You will need a wide doorway and a ramp for making your entrance handicap accessible. A 37-inch broad doorway can accommodate almost all wheelchairs. However, wide doors may not always be feasible. In such scenarios offset hinges can help to add a few inches of extra space for your vehicle to pass through easily. Also, adding a ramp will create an easy movement for the vehicle, especially where there are stairs. But keep in mind that the ramp should not be too steep.
Wheel Friendly Floor Surface
The next most important part of your home that needs to be handicap accessible to allow smooth movement of your wheelchair is the flooring. Your floor needs to be flat and the material needs to be such that it doesn’t create more friction to hinder wheel movement. Avoid using rugs and thick carpets. These can be a great obstacle for your wheelchairs’ wheels. They can also pose a risk of tripping and falling. Instead plan on using vinyl, ceramic tiles, or hardwood on your flooring.
Turning Radius of at Least 5 Foot
There will be places in your home where you will need to take a turn. The turn can be great difficulty in your movement if the turn radius is narrow. Your vehicle will need at least a 5-foot turning radius to turn. This will allow a swift movement of your vehicle. Your ultimate goal from turning will be the ability to make a 360 degree turn with no hindrance.
Grab Bars for Safety
Safety is the most important aspect of a wheelchair ridden life. You will need support on difficult surfaces, especially slopes and bathrooms. You will need to grab bars to climb up and down different types of floor spaces and maintain balance on slippery tiles of the bathroom. A half an inch diameter bar would be a great fit for you. The grab bars must be wall-mounted and tested for use by a handicapped person. The height of their installation should be measured keeping the users’ wheelchair in mind. Also, these must be tested for their ability to support the user’s weight to avoid any accidental falls.
Knee Space Under Countertops and Sinks
For being able to access a tabletop or sink, it is necessary to have it at a lower height. The ideal height for the tabletop for handicap accessibility is 30 inches and the same for the sink is 34 inches. It should also accommodate greater leg space for your knees. This will help you access such cramped areas from your wheelchair and do the day to day tasks with ease. This is useful, especially in the kitchen, wash, laundry, bathrooms, office area, etc. This lets everyone in the house contribute to daily chores, and is especially useful when you live alone.
Low Levelled Storage Shelves
Storage can be a question of concern. If you live alone, you should create more spaces on the lower half of your furniture to access them easily. If you live with others, they will need space too. And that is where conflict of interest arises. In such a setup, have storage both in the upper and lower half. In the upper half, you can store stuff that you won’t need in a very long time and that can be reached out to by others. And here others can store their regular stuff. In the lower half, you can add drawers and closet rods (ideally 2 feet from the floor) for your clothes and accessories to be accessed daily.
Lowered Doorknobs
Install lever handles to equip people with dexterity and hand coordination issues. Get rid of round knobs and faucet handles. Also, ensure that these knobs are installed at a lower height to make it easy for handicapped people to access them.
Curbless Shower and Shower Chair
A curbless shower is a must-have for making the bathroom handicap accessible. A curbless shower means a bathroom with a shower area that is not indented or raised on the surface than the rest of the floor. These showers let a person in a wheelchair roll inside directly. Also, the drains must be channelled to allow water to pass quickly and make the floor wheel friendly and the shower safer. The shower area must be large enough to accommodate the handicapped person and a caretaker, in case they need any assistance. Lastly, do not forget to install a wall-mounted shower chair in the bathroom.
Riser on Toilet Seats
A toilet riser can make it easier to sit for people with troubles in bending. You can get a riser easily at any drug store or online.
Furniture Placement
Furniture must be placed in a way that there is sufficient space between the pieces to allow movement for your wheelchair. A space of 32 inches will be ideal. Also, try to raise the furniture to a level that makes it easy for handicapped people to sit. You can do so by adding wooden blocks or coasters beneath your furniture.
These changes can make your home more comfortable and accessible as per your needs or that of your family/friends.