Will you soon be entertaining a guest with a disability or are you an individual with a disability? There are many things that can be done to temporarily make any home more accessible and user-friendly for visitors with disabilities.
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: Plan ahead. Consider renting or purchasing a portable “suitcase” style wheelchair ramp. It may not provide the “ideal” slope to enter the home independently, but with assistance, it will allow access in and out of the home as needed.
Door Widths: By removing a door from its frame, you can achieve an additional 1” to 2” of clearance at a narrow door opening, which may make it wheelchair accessible. Removal of the door can also protect it from occasional scratches caused when trying to pass through the doorway using mobility equipment. Curtains can be hung in the door frame using tension rods for visual privacy. If you desire to keep a door on the frame for better privacy, “swing clear hinges” can be installed to position the door outside the clear opening, behind the door frame.
Maneuvering: Remove furniture along primary pathways to provide a minimum 36” wide path of travel leading to all areas of the home that will be accessed by wheelchair or other mobility devices. In gathering areas such as the living room, family room, dining room, etc., remove coffee tables, end tables or even a chair to make a place for you or a guest in a wheelchair to be a part of the conversation area.
In addition, remove all area rugs and lightweight mats from primary pathways so they do not restrict wheelchair or walker movement.
Wheelchair Accessible Dining Table: One of the most important holiday moments is time eating the wonderful foods prepared for the holidays. Many tables do not provide adequate knee clearance to roll a wheelchair underneath. The table can be easily raised by placing wood blocks below each table leg. To keep the table stable when resting on these blocks, be sure they are no taller than they are wide; for example, 4” wide x 4” deep, and no higher than 4”. Create a hole into the wood block large enough for the table leg to recess into the block.
Kitchen: Pull-out breadboards work well providing a work-surface with clear knee space below for a helper that needs seated access. Bread boards can also be used as an alternative work surface by strapping them across the arm of a wheelchair.
Communication: Use of a walkie talkie or baby monitor can allow communication between a guest with a disability who needs assistance and someone else in the home without having to wake or involve all other household members.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom: If the toilet seat is too low, the installation of a plastic riser seat works well and easily attaches to an existing toilet. Grab bars that attach to the toilet seat also work well when installation of permanent grab bars is not possible.
If the vanity mirror is too high, use a hand-held mirror or one which can sit on top of the bathroom counter.
Bathing: For showering, hand-held shower heads are easy to install in place of an existing shower head and will assist in directing water spray when bathing. Any home is improved when a standard shower head is replaced with a hand-held model. They are great for bathing young children and pets, as well as extremely useful when cleaning. Better yet, install a model that comes with an adjustable bar & sliding mounting hook. Then the shower head adjusts to the perfect height for anyone.
A transfer bench can be used with either a bathtub or shower. Grab bars that clamp onto a bathtub rim are also available.
Sleeping Room: In the bedroom, remove any unnecessary furniture and position the bed next to a wall to provide additional clear floor space along one side of the bed. If possible, replace a double bed with a twin bed to achieve more wheelchair maneuvering space.
If the height of the bed is too low to facilitate safe wheelchair transfers, raise the bed by placing wood blocks below in the same fashion as mentioned above for tables. Another solution would be to purchase bed leg extenders which may be available at specialty bed and bath stores (these extenders are typically used to raise a bed to provide storage below).
Some individuals with disabilities who enjoy traveling have gone to the extent of creating a “suitcase of traveling products” that are always packed and ready to go. Many of the suggestions above are items that can be easily packed.
If you need help locating any of the above products, contact your access specialist, therapist, or local medical supply store. They may also be able to help you identify where you can obtain “previously owned” equipment at a lower cost than new equipment. The Center for Independent Living in the area where you live or visit may be able to help you coordinate rental of larger pieces of equipment.
Jane A. Hampton, CID, CAPS is the President and Founder of Accessibility Design, a Minneapolis, MN based home access design, consultation, and project management company (est.1992). As a Certified Interior Designer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist, Jane Hampton was one of the early pioneers in developing the specialty niche of home access and defining what it is today. She and her company have captured the essence of Universal Design, Aging in Place, and Home Access and have helped thousands enhance their lives by refining residential access and independent living. She is looked to as an expert in the field, as well as an educator on both a regional and national level.
For more information regarding Jane Hampton and her company Accessibility Design, please visit www.accessibilitydesign.com.
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