Getting in and out of any house can be a real hassle for someone in a wheelchair. The first area to address in special needs housing for someone in a wheelchair is your walkway. Is it an easy-roll surface that is flat, firm and even, or is it difficult for a wheelchair to navigate, such as gravel studded with stepping stones? I’ll start with a couple of examples of wheelchair friendly special needs housing entryways, and end with one that needs a makeover.
Special Needs Housing Entryways that Work
The special needs housing walkway pictured here is concrete, sloped, and curves right up to the door. No problem here.
My business partner, Carole, had two boys with muscular dystrophy, and when she built her current home, she built a special needs house that her son Craig could wheel in and out of by himself.
- Her front walk is ramped to ADA specifications for special needs homes – 1 inch in height for every foot of incline.
- It stretches from the driveway to the landing pad underneath her covered front entry.
That attractive blue indoor/outdoor carpeting gives traction to his wheels and acts as a towel, drying them before he gets to the ceramic tile on the inside.
Take a good look at Carole’s entryway. See the tiny rubber ramps inside and out of the door? These little ramps let Craig roll right over the threshold with just a little bump.
Not Wheelchair Friendly
Now compare it with this under-roof entry with a slate floor and five-inch lip which also served a special needs house. The slate surface:
- doesn’t provide as smooth a ride as indoor/outdoor carpet
- is slippery if your wheels are wet, and
- they’re still wet when you get inside, making for a slippery ride on the tile and a messy floor.
This entry also has a step-up into the house – the owner’s caregiver had to lift the wheelchair (occupant and all) over it every time they went in or out.
Once your modifications are in place, hassles getting in and out are a thing of the past, and you’ve taken the first step toward making your home a special needs house.
