Utensils
To keep utensils within reach for adults of shorter stature, children, and wheelchair users, consider installing pegs or wall-mounted racks between the counters and cabinets. Slanted pegs are easier to use than hooks, which can catch on pan handles. Utensils can also be stored in hanging baskets.
Many items are designed for one-handed use, helping all users. A breadboard and knife set is available to help in slicing. A rotary recipe file, for example, can be mounted on the inside of a cabinet door to keep recipes reachable yet off the counter. Another example of a one-handed utensil is a pizza cutter, which can also be used to cut meat, bread, and vegetables.
Cookware
Glass pots and pans, because they are see-through, allow adults of shorter stature and wheelchair users to monitor cooking food. Glass cookware can be used to cook, store, and serve food, reducing the number of cooking items needed. Choose lightweight cookware for people with reduced strength and heavier sets for people with tremors. Pans with double handles are easier to lift.
Dining Accessories
For increased grip strength, choose smaller drinking glasses. Use larger glasses for people who have trouble tilting their heads; two-handled cups may be easier to hold. For increased coordination, select cups with large handles and dinner plates with deeper sides to help in scooping the food onto the spoon. Although heavier dishes, like stoneware, retain heat better, they are usually more difficult to lift. For people with coordination difficulties, sectioned plates make eating easier.
Silverware with pistol grips or handles that conform to the hand improve grip strength. To improve strength in slicing, consider a knife which operates with a rocking motion instead of a slicing motion.
To improve visual acuity, be sure dishes contrast with tablecloths. Specify plates with borders so that the edges of plates can be more easily seen.
Kitchen Maintenance Accessories
Everyday products can be used to enhance a variety of abilities. To save energy, trays can be used to clear tables so dishes do not have to be carried separately. To clean up spills, pails of water can be moved more easily on caster frames. A sponge mop with a wringer mechanism requires less strength and coordination than a cloth mop. A dustpan with a long handle requires less bending, and a feather duster with a telescoping handle increases reach. A wastebasket with a non-slip foot control can be opened without the use of hands.
Accessories for Kitchen Safety
Every kitchen should be equipped with a fire extinguisher. Specify a multi-purpose "A-B-C" model to combat electrical and grease fires as well as ordinary combustibles. Because people with reduced sensation cannot easily feel burns, select cookware with handles that do not become hot. Oven proof mittens are easier to use than potholders. Insulated rubber gloves can improve grip strength on dishes while protecting hands from hot, irritating dishwater.
Excerpted from Beautiful Universal Design: A Visual Guide, Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry, John Wiley & Sons, 1999; Used With Permission. © Cynthia Leibrock and James Evan Terry.
