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Hello,

     I am interested in upgrading some houses that I own in the Pittsburgh,PA area to allow for physically disabled people. I don't know  what kind of disabilities or upgrades are needed. Meaning - I am very ignorant of this area, I have been doing renovations for 20 years professionally.  I am at the very early stages of arthritis , and others in my family are at advanced stages, so I would be learning about what I need to do for them and myself in the future.  Any help would be appreciated.

Sincerely

 

 

I suppose that depends on the type of disability you're referring to.  If you talking about an active wheelchair user, then I have some suggestions.  If you're talking a disability like blindness, dwarfism, mental diability, etc, then you'd have to ask one of those folks for better suggestions.

 

A few suggestions from my wish list for the perfectly adapted house would be cement poured frontal entrance ramp in the front of my house (or ground level entry), lever style door nobs, counter tops that have been lowered by about 5 or so inches with sink and stove top to match with the oven at a lower level too.  For my house with a basement, I would love one of those rail chairs that transport you up and down stairs so I didn't have to crawl on my bum to get down there.

 

Now some people like roll in showers.  I've never been a fan since water tends to get every where and I'm still spry enough to transfer to a shower chair.  But with older folks especially with arthitis this might be a good thing to have.  And the shower head being disconnectable so they can have the flexiblity to shower all over.  Obviously sinks lowered and free hanging from the wall so I can roll up to it, or a vanity like sink/countertop so I can roll directly up to it.  Sturdy grip handles on the wall (like you see in handicapped bathrooms in public) so that I have something other than the toilet seat to place my hand on to transfer to my chair, and make my center of balance a little less precarious.

 

That's all I can think of.  If anyone can add to this, feel free.

Paralyzed Veterans of America has architectual site and the Unitersity of North Carolina has a site devoted to universal home design.

BAVO FOR THINKING AHEAD!

 I WOULD MAKE SURE THERE WAS A MASTER BEDROOM SUITE ON THE LOWER MAIN  LEVEL OF THE HOME.. GOOD FOR OLDER ADULTS AS WELL AS DISABLED.

A LAUNDRY AREA THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO WHEELCHAIR USERS AND OLDER PERSONS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY

OUTSIDE AREAS WITH SMOOTH TRANSITIONS  TO THE INDOORS AND PATHS INTO NATURE FOR W/C AN ACCESSIBLE GARDEN AREA

TRASH CAN THAT IS EASY TO GET OUTSIDE, LAUDRY SHUTES, DUMBWAITERS FOR MULTI LEVEL LIVING.

BUILT INS THAT ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FURNITURE SO IMPROVING ACESSIBILITY

LOTS OF GRAB BARS

W/C HEIGHT OUTLETS

KITCHEN CABINETS THAT RAISE AND LOWER- I'VE SEEN THEM

HOME SECURITY SYSTEM

FRESH AIR  SYSTEM

TACTILE FURNITURE COVERINGS

DOOR ALARMS

REMOTE WINDOW COVERINGS MAKE IT EASY TO ADJUST LIGHT WHEN YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO IT YOURSELF

MOST OF THESE THINGS WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY EVERYONE RENTING A HOME

 

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED EXTREMEME HOME MAKEOVERS WHEN HEY HELP THE DISABLED? THEY HAVE GREAT IDEAS AND NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE THAT GRAND!

 

 

 

 

 

 Check with Home Depot...I have heard they have special packages for this at discouted prices

Joe 

I wish I would have had enough time to fix my house up to be wheelchair friendly, but I did not get the fortune cookie that told me I was going to have an accident...lol.

Basic run-through of my house being in a wheelchair is make sure all your doors are 36" wide openings.

If you can find or make a cardboard box that is 36" x 36" x 36" and slide that around your house.  Start at your doors and go everywhere with it in the house you go: bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, livingroom, laundry room, any other places in your house.

Once you have cleared 36" isles everywhere in the house then you are going to have to set it up to your preference but at least you can get the hard stuff done now.  Good Luck

Born free

I just read your post and have a couple of suggestions from personal experience. I have Post Polio Syndrom and currently use either a wheeled walker or four prong cane. Flooring has been a problem for me. My 1980 style carpeting is kinda difficult to get around. I would rather have a wood floor. There is not enough turn around space while in a chair in many of the older homes. I don't know the radius needed but you might get a person in a chair to give you real time measurements. Also furniture and room dividers are another area of concern. Its amazing how difficult it is to get places because of how a room divider is placed. My bathroom which has a separate dressing area is a case in point. I use my walker to get down my hall and into my bedroom proper but have to transfer to my four prong cane to get into the bath and comode area becuse of the smallness of the door width and the placement of the wall separating the two areas of the bath. i could get the bath redone, i've done some things, but don't have the funds for an entire wall ripout and redo.

Another area that is a problem when you have abled body housemates or family members who forget about the disabled problems with getting around. Storeage of moveable objects need to be far enough apart so you can get through in a chair or walker or cane.

hope this helps

Becky W

Hi.  You are in the right place to get some idea's and information.

I am a new wheelchair user (about 5 week's).  I am lucky in that i already had a ground floor flat and laminate flooring rather than carpet.  My property is all on one level except for the back garden where there is a step down.  As a result i can not use the garden area.  Flooring is important for wheelchair users as the ability to move easy between rooms is half the struggle.  In the short time i have been in a chair i would say that the Bathroom/Wash Room and kitchen area are both the most challenging.  In the kitchen there needs to be room to turn the chair round and low height work surfaces and sink.  For people who can stand but not for long can i suggest a pirching chair/stool. 

The bathroom would be better with a shower rather than a bath.  Plenty  of hand rails around the room including round the toilet and sink area.  Also if the property has a parking area there should be room to fully open the car door and space to allow a wheelchair to be wheeled to both the driver and passenger door.  A hard surface rather than lawn would also be preferred.  From other posts i understand that a grant or funding may be available to assist you in alterations.

Best of luck, Chris