Written by Johanna Galyen, RN
If you have a loved one or family member who is in a wheelchair, having a home that is accessible for them is very important for you. At first glance, creating an accessible home can be a daunting task. No more are you concerned just about the decor, now you have to consider steps, transitions from carpet, doorways, hallways - and it can be overwhelming. But, most homes don’t need an overhaul from an HGTV specialist, you just need to implement some small changes to make your home universally visitable.
Most homes tend to have stairs that lead to the front door, and these are impassable by wheelchair users. The best option, of course, is to choose a home design that doesn’t utilize steps or raised thresholds, or to switch these for short ramps. But, changing these stairs to a ramp can be a costly investment, and the front door may not be the best place to implement a slope.
Try looking for a side door or one that connects from the garage that might be easier to change. Most homes only have one or two steps from the inside of the garage to the house, and a simple ramp can be built here with minimal costs.
Or, if you’re looking for a less permanent solution, there are a wide variety of threshold ramps available to provide a smooth transition over raised obstacles and steps.
A traditional doorknob that has to turn right or left can be difficult to use while maneuvering a wheelchair. A quick little fix is to simply swap these out for a lever-type handle. This is a fairly inexpensive solution, but it can make a world of difference for wheelchair users who can now open a door very quickly.
For garages, the outside of your home, and even rooms that are not used very frequently, motion sensors are helpful because finding the light switch can sometimes be difficult for users in wheelchairs who are lower to the ground. Motion sensors sound very expensive and challenging, but actually, they can be built into a light switch panel and can be found at most hardware stores.
A more expensive, but even more convenient solution is to lower your light switches to a height more easily accessible to a person who is seated in a wheelchair. This is a great solution if you’re just building your home, or if you own your home and it will be the permanent residence of someone in a wheelchair.
Especially for frequently-used rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms, swapping a traditional door for a pocket door is a simple change that can make a big difference for ease of use. The name “pocket door” can be confusing, but it is similar to the barnyard style of door, named because it slides into a “pocket” in the wall. Instead of swinging out when it opens, it slides to the right or left.
These doors are great for wheelchair users, because they don’t include the difficulty of having to maneuver around the door swinging towards you, which can be a real challenge with a wheelchair. They also help save space in your home, which is a double win for you!
Cutesy floor rugs, tall plants, standing toilet-paper holders, and magazine racks can all clutter up a bathroom. Yes, they do look nice, but for a family member in a wheelchair, these items just get in the way.
To make your bathroom accessible for a wheelchair user, decorations need to only be on the walls, and floor items need to be cleared away. A small standing sink may need to be installed instead of a built-in sink and base cabinet combination - something that someone in a wheelchair can access from their chair.
Make sure that the toilet includes grab bars nearby and that there’s enough clearance around it that your loved one can easily maneuver around it in their chair. For more information on the proper dimensions and exact specification standards you should strive for, check out the full text of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines.
Remember those times that you accidentally bumped your toe as you walked from a wooden floor to a carpeted floor? You may have learned always to step up to avoid the transition in the flooring, but a wheelchair will still hit that bump.
Some ways to smooth out the bumps or raised transitions in the flooring is to add pieces of transparent, plastic laminate (similar to what office would use under an office chair) to help transition to a carpeted area. You can also utilize a small, thin threshold ramp to help smooth the difference between the two floorings.
After a big rainstorm, a sidewalk can become cluttered with leaves, acorns, or other debris. Over the summer, small clumps of grass and weeds can grow in cracks in the sidewalks and driveway. To help give your loved one the smoothest ride possible, sweep the sidewalks and entrance areas frequently. Also, weed killer can help kill those annoying clumps that begin to grow up to keep travel paths free and clear.
Getting in and out of a vehicle requires a lot of room for people who use wheelchairs. However, garages tend to be the catch-all location for items rearranged from the house.
As much as possible, try not to consider the garage to be a storage location, but rather a dry, covered location for safe transfer in and out of a vehicle. If items are stored there, it may be helpful to clean them out, store them in the attic, basement, or external storage unit, or even donate the unused items to a local charity.
Driving a wheelchair can be just as complicated as learning to drive a real vehicle. It is common to get bumps and dings on furniture, sides of doors, and walls. If you see areas that are heavily traveled and bumped into, one way to cushion these walls and corners is to tack a piece of carpet or padded fabric there to help absorb the impact until your loved one is more confident in maneuvering the area.
An old-fashioned term for a round turntable is the lazy Susan. This handy item can be used in a variety of places where lots of things are stored that may be hard to reach. For example, on the dinner table instead of having the salt, pepper, and extra napkins all lined up in a row, you can put them on a lazy Susan so they can be reached all at one time.
The lazy Susan can also be used in cabinets that store canned goods, spice shelves, in freezers, on countertops, or even in bathroom cabinets - anywhere that you need to store multiple items that are used frequently.
No, this is not a person designated as a reacher; it’s a grabbing tool that can help you reach items that are too far away from you. With a simple claw that makes a grabbing action when you pull a switch or trigger, your family member can easily grasp objects that are three-to-four feet away.
This helps people stay independent and perform tasks without asking for assistance, and also allows you to use more of your home’s vertical space while still allowing access.
Instead of trying to yell across a home, a simple intercom system installed with speakers in the most used rooms of the home can help you communicate more easily and effectively. This way you do not have to shout or feel the need to always be moving around the house to talk to your loved one.
In most homes, the kitchen is the hub of activity. Meals are lovingly cooked, and memories are made while chopping vegetables and gossiping about the day’s events. For your loved one in a wheelchair, it can be hard to reach the countertops and help with cooking. One simple way to change this is to switch out one drawer and install a flat pull-out board or lowered countertop. This can be used as a lower table for helping with cooking, baking cookies, rolling out pizza dough, chopping vegetables, using a hand mixer, or many other things.
But what is so important is the fact that your loved one is able to help. When they don’t feel left out and can make positive contributions to the home, they will be happier and feel more loved.
Your home is an extension of your heart, so as you can make your home universally accessible to your loved one in a wheelchair, the more loved they will feel. It isn’t hard; you just need to implement these 13 easy tips.
For more information on accessible homes, wheelchairs, and caregiving, check out the rest of our helpful articles on Caregiver University. And, for a great range of home modification and medical products visit Rehabmart.com.
Johanna Galyen is a Registered Nurse, blogger, mother of 4 (including a teenager who is taller than her!), and an avid cruiser of the Caribbean. She began working as a CNA in college and kept her love of medicine after getting her B.S. in Nursing. In the past 16 years, she has helped thousands of patients in Internal Medicine, Neuro-Trauma Med-Surg, Emergency Rooms, and Tele-Health. She is passionate about helping others increase their understanding about their health conditions and always brings a bit of love in all that she does.
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