Kitchen Equipment for Disabled People
People with disabilities can have a hard time navigating around the kitchen, especially in a wheelchair. You can make food preparation and cleanup easier by installing some specially designed equipment. Even small, hand-held equipment can make a big difference in accessibility. Some pieces of equipment are simple and inexpensive, but others require renovations to install. Whether you are designing a new kitchen or fixing up an older one, here are some ideas for kitchen equipment for disabled people. Does this Spark an idea?
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Grabbing Tool
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Something as simple as the Long Arm Grabber that is made by Norpro can make a kitchen much more user friendly for someone in a wheel chair. This extended tool has a clamp on one end that works from a handle on the other end. This equipment allows someone who is in a wheelchair to have access to things in the upper cabinets. This simple but incredibly useful piece of equipment is very inexpensive, selling for under $10 in most stores in 2009.
Cabinets
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Built-in kitchen equipment, such as carousels inside of cabinets, can make it much easier for a person who uses a wheelchair to be able to reach items. Without this type of set-up, he could not reach things in the back of the cabinets. Cupboards that slide out and have pull-down baskets are also extremely useful.
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Tray
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A tray with a bean bag base that can be held on the lap is a handy piece of kitchen equipment for someone who uses a wheelchair. This tray allows her to steady the tray on her lap to transport plates, food and glasses to the dinner table.
Major Appliances
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A stove top is another item to consider. It's difficult to lift pots and pans off a stove from a wheelchair. A one-piece, flush stove top that allows pots and pans to slide off the stove instead of being lifted will allow easier, safer removal of hot items. The controls need to be on the front. A side-by-side refrigerator is also helpful; the items needed most often can be stored on the lower shelves and the narrow doors are easier for a person in a wheelchair to open.
Sink
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A sink installed lower than usual and with no cabinet underneath allows a person using a wheelchair to slide up to the sink. Longer faucet handles and a pot sprayer on the side of the sink are also helpful. It is easier to wash dishes if the sink is fairly shallow.
Ironing
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A wall-mounted ironing board that folds down to table height allows a wheelchair user to iron clothing fairly easily.
Small Appliances
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Small appliances such as a microwave oven, toaster, blender and food processor should be on a low countertop or accessible open shelves. A kitchen caddy on wheels can also solve the problem of unreachable appliances. For a finishing touch, install a wall-mounted can opener at the appropriate height.
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