How to Handicap Ready Your Home
Like most homes, your home was not created to be handicap accessible. Whether you have a temporary handicapped guest or a permanent live-in one, you can make your home handicap accessible with only a few minor changes. These changes include altering the widths of doors to removing the daily obstacles a handicapped person might go through each day. You want your guest or resident to be as comfortable as possible. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Clear all paths and walkways inside and outside of your home. Remove any toys, loose rugs, sharp corners and bulky furniture. Be sure that your guest can move freely without running into things or tripping.
-
2
Arrange all items in the house so they can be reached by your guest. Place kitchen items in lower shelves and in drawers. Place things on the lower shelves of the refrigerator and avoid pushing things too far back.
-
-
3
Install sturdy handrails around the house. Place the handrails for staircases, in bathrooms and in bedrooms. Whenever a person must remove himself from his wheelchair or crutches, he should have a handrail for support. The rail height will range from 27 to 29 inches for guests in wheelchairs, to 24 inches for children.
-
4
Change the flooring of your kitchen so that the material has cushioning and a slip-free finish. Vinyl and cork offer both for your kitchen flooring.
-
5
Change wall colors to something more neutral and plain colored if your handicapped resident has vision problems. Too many busy colors will disorient her and might cause her to panic.
-
6
Add a hot water dispenser in the kitchen to prevent the handicapped from using the stove too often. This will be especially useful for your resident if he has poor vision or wrist issues.
-
7
Buy handicap-friendly kitchen utensils according to your resident’s needs. Such items include plate guards, no-spill cups, scooper bowls, large-handled items and jar openers.
-
8
Widen doors to at least 36 inches for residents in wheelchairs. Wheelchairs usually range between 24 to 27 inches wide and should be accommodated so they can freely roam into each room with no restrictions.
-
9
Place an aluminum wheelchair ramp over outdoor steps so your house is wheelchair accessible. You can remove aluminum wheelchair ramps when they are no longer needed, as opposed to more permanent solutions such as concrete ramps.
-
1
