In this article, we are going to discuss briefly that how can you modify your house to make it more accessible. Disabilities can change how we function in daily life, even in spaces as familiar as our residence.
In fact, the house can quickly turn into a difficult space filled with obstructions when new disabilities impact our lives. Doorknobs, stairs, bathrooms, and specific surfaces may suddenly become problematic, and it might be overwhelming to try to adapt. Luckily, several solutions exist to make your house life feel as normal as ever. In fact, upgrading your home can ensure safety, create relaxation, and empower independent living.
Handicap accessible house ideas or universal design is a principle that makes architecture inclusive of individuals with varying needs, like architecturally creating or furnishing in a manner that creates more room to move mobility aids or lower placement of light switches for people that use a wheelchair. Homes built with universal design principles or handicap accessible homes or help traditional houses consider them to become handicap accessible homes.
Creating a wheelchair accessible home is essential for the overall quality of life for those in your care who need additionally accessible accommodations. A handicap accessible home allows anybody to live independently and is ideal for ensuring overall security and comfort.
1. Substitute Stairs With Ramps
Stairs are hazards for many, not only those in wheelchairs but for anyone with restricted mobility. They also tend to pop up in just about any architectural style. Even if your house is a single-story ranch, then you probably have at least one or two steps leading from the stoop to your door or by an interior landing into a living room. Several ramp designs exist to fulfill any requirements; collapsible ramps facilitate easy storage. Portable ramps mean you can quickly change any measure into a wheelchair accessible entry on the move, and threshold ramps create an entryway instantly available.
2. Widen Doorways
Many wheelchairs and walkers are too broad to easily move through doors. Widening doorways can be an expensive job (up to $1,000 in some cases), but you can use a few counter hinges to help swing the door clear of the opening to add a few inches of space.
3. Spend In A Stair Lift
If you or your loved one finds stairs a cumbersome obstacle, consider installing a stair elevator. Stairlifts come in a vast array of styles and maybe set up as a permanent home alteration, or maybe an on-the-go solution, like a mobile stair climber. Stairlifts convert multi-level homes or front lawn steps into accessible homes for people with limited mobility. Installing them will level out your house and create a safe, accessible space.
4. Take An Elevator
An alternative to a stairlift, an elevator may be a terrific solution for those who have limited mobility. They can be safe, elegant, reliable, and swift. They may also be incorporated into existing architecture. You might be thinking that installing an elevator is cost-prohibitive, but installing an elevator in your home drives up the house’s value–often to a point much higher than the cost of setup. What’s more, your investment will make your house accessible to anyone.
5. Add Grab Bars
Grab Bars will help with the toilet’s stability –particularly around the shower and bathroom—a standard 1-1/2-inch diameter bar works for many people’s grip.
6. Remove Bathing Barriers
For many, the toilet presents many obstacles. Slick tile gets very hazardous when soapy and wet, and bathtubs and countertops are not forgiving surfaces for those prone to falls. The tub can be particularly challenging given that bathtubs have tall sides, making a tricky physical barrier to entry. Fortunately, step-in bathtubs remove that barrier, allowing users to step into the bathtub without straddling the side. This creates a much safer experience, lowering the chance of falls.
In addition to creating a simpler entry, think about lining your bathtub with a slip-resistant surface.
7. Install a Riser
A bathroom riser can make it easier for people who have trouble bending or standing up and sitting down. Risers can be bought at home improvement and many medicine stores and generally cost less than $50.
8. Update Your Toilet
Along with the tub, the toilet is just another bathroom area that may become treacherous for those who have disabilities. Handrails eliminate users will need to balance as they sit down and stand out in the bathroom. Consider fitting a simple safety frame around your bathroom to raise consumers’ comfort and quality of life.
9. Build a Ramp
A ramp to a door won’t just assist those in wheelchairs, but anyone with mobility problems. To build a ramp, you will likely require a permit, so check local building codes before beginning construction.
10. Place Handrails In Key Regions
For those with poor balance, likely to drop, low mobility, or just want help getting out from chairs, beds, or toilet areas, well-placed handrails can make a significant difference. Grab rails in the bathroom will reduce the uncertainty of falls and help users lift themselves from seated positions. They develop independence and make peace-of-mind.
11. Ditch Doorknobs
Many kinds of doorknobs are cumbersome and difficult to use for people who have trouble gripping. Replacing doorknobs with pull/push bars, press lever handles, as well as automatic doors will improve your home’s accessibility tremendously.
Automatic doors boost hands-free living inside accessible houses. These doors can be installed indoors and outside and empower users to open any entrance with a button’s push. Automatic doors can be installed easily and quickly on just about any door type.
They can be customized to be triggered from a broad assortment of devices, such as wheelchair control buttons, wall push pads, home control systems, and much more. Additionally, automatic doors don’t override manual operations, meaning that the doors can nevertheless be used manually if desired.
12. Arrange Your Kitchen for Access
Those looking to make handicap accessible homes might need to make some modifications to their kitchen. Consider arranging appliances close to the counters and sink to make jobs easier to execute. Move everyday items into lower cabinets for comfortable access.
13. Simplify Pool Entrance
Backyard Pools can be a good deal of fun, but they can be tough to use for those who have a disability. Ladders or entrance stairs do not allow for people with low mobility to enter, and what is more, they could pose safety threats if left unadapted. But, pools provide excellent opportunities for exercise and treatment for lots of people facing disabilities.
Thus, upgrading your pool to be ADA compliant is a huge part of creating your house into a handicap accessible home. There is a beautiful variety of pool lifts constructed to enable safe aquatic entry for the handicapped and mobility-challenged. They can support varying weight abilities, are acceptable for both aboveground and inground pools, and match a vast collection of aesthetics.
14. Lower Closet Rods
Think about lowering closet rods to make it easier to reach clothes. A height of about 2 feet from the ground will help those in wheelchairs.
15. Ensure Adequate Lighting
Low lighting can create a danger for anybody in a house, but particularly somebody who’s disabled. Be sure that you’ve got strong overhead lights they can turn on with just the flip of a switch — or better still, with voice-activated commands.
16. Rearrange Your Furniture
Consider the layout of your dwelling. Is your furniture located so that people with low-mobility or people in wheelchairs can easily move around? Rearrange your furniture so that there are no narrow passageways or sharp turns. Make daily use products, such as comfortable chairs, bookshelves, kitchen utensils, and plates, easy to get. This may mean transferring items to lower shelves for individuals using mobility devices.
17. Be Mindful of your surfaces
As we mentioned, surfaces such as tile can get quite slick. Hardwood floors, thick carpeting, and rough grout may also be hard for individuals using mobility devices and aids such as walkers and canes. Sometimes, it might be best to carpet your surfaces with smooth, even carpets. Or, maybe you ought to replace some rugs that slip and slide easily. Make sure to set up grip mats in showers and bathrooms. Make sure that all surfaces in your house don’t pose any trips or falling threats.
18. A Curbless Shower
One of the most significant things on the list is also among the most important. A no lip, a curbless shower that transforms the shower into a handicap shower stall and enables someone in a wheelchair to roll directly in. A channel drain is significant for the protection of the chair user. Channel drains get out water faster and makes showering more reliable. A wheelchair accessible shower ought to be big enough to allow for a caretaker or expert aid if you need help.
19. Take Into Account All The Obstacles
As you move about the home, envision what areas may be challenging to get a wheelchair to maneuver, while it is a coffee table that blocks a path or a cabinet that’s too high to be easily reached. See what exactly is OK to leave as-is with some changes — maybe you merely move a number of the kitchen items to lower, more accessible shelves — and that will need to be addressed with retrofits or other modifications.
Good luck rethinking and redesigning your current or new home with our tips mentioned above.
