There are several reasons you should have an accessible
home, but most people don’t even think about it until they have a specific
reason to. Making the changes to ensure your space is easily accessible for
anyone, even the differently-abled, will create a more inviting space.
Why You Need an Accessible Home
The most common reason someone realises that their home
should be accessible is that one of the family members requires accessibility.
Perhaps you have an elderly family member moving in with you or someone in the
family has had an accident and now requires a wheelchair to move around.
You may even be the one who is searching for a way to make
your home easier to move around in, due to ageing or because you’re not as
steady on your feet as previously. These are some of the main reasons people
will suddenly realise that accessibility is important. However, it’s not
the only reason you should consider it.
Chances are, you know someone who has difficulty with stairs
or who needs some extra help getting up and down from a chair. Imagine how nice
it would be to visit someone else’s home and find it welcoming to you. That’s
what it’s like when your friends visit you and find that you’ve taken the time
and energy to create a space that they can manoeuvre in.
Even if you wouldn’t consider it a necessity, making your
home accessible means it has more potential in the real estate market, as well.
What you do will help your home sell quicker and it immediately expands your
audience. Not only do you enjoy the benefits of the space while living in it,
but when you sell it, you can sell to anyone, including those who are looking
for a wheelchair accessible house or a space for an elderly couple.
These are just a few of the reasons you might want to
consider how accessible your home is. It’s surprisingly simple to add a few
features that make it easier for your home to welcome everyone.
Quick and Easy Changes
Of course, you may not wish to make major changes, or you
may simply not have the money for this, but there are small changes and
additions that you can make to ensure your home is as accessible as possible.
Support Bars
Bathrooms are one of the places where the most accidents
happen in the home and you can make that less likely to happen by simply
installing support bars in the shower and beside the toilet. These come in a
range of styles so they don’t need to look out of place.
Support bars are helpful for everyone, including those with
disabilities. If you’ve come home from the hospital after surgery, it’s helpful
to have a bar to hold onto as you get into the shower. Children can use the
toilet bars to hold themselves in place from a young age and older people can
also use them to prevent falls. They’re simple to install on your own, too.
Non-Slip Treads
You can add non-slip materials to multiple places, including
your front stairs or ramps. The bathtub or shower can also benefit from having
non-slip treads added. These are relatively easy to find, can be installed in
seconds, and will prevent falls from slipping.
Hard Floors
Vinyl and hardwood are easier to walk on when you have
mobility issues and walkers will glide over them easier, as well. Unless you
have a very low nap carpet, it’s likely to trip people up as they attempt to
move their walker or crutches over it. Wheelchairs are also harder to move when
there is thick carpet. It may feel luxurious, but it should be kept out of the
main rooms if possible.
Instead, opt for flooring that looks nice, but is also easy
to walk on or roll on. You can choose from tiles, wood, vinyl, and even
concrete.
Space Between
Furniture
Something else to consider is where your furniture is
placed. For anyone who is in a wheelchair, you need to ensure at least 32
inches between any two pieces of furniture, or the piece of furniture and a
wall or door. It’s a very simple change, but one that will have people with
walkers and wheelchairs feeling more at home in your space.
You may also want to raise some of your furniture to make it
easier to sit in. Furniture coasters will lift the seats to make it simpler for
anyone with mobility issues to take a seat.
Lever Door Handles
Doorknobs are tricky when you have difficulties with your
hands and for this reason, most homes that are accessible prefer levers to
knobs. Even with minimal movement, it’s easier to push a lever down so that it
can work for you and open the door. Minimal dexterity is needed.
You can easily replace the doorknobs yourself and your home
can be more accessible in minutes.
Structural Changes to Make Your Home Accessible
Not all structural changes are a big deal and many of these
can be fit into your home with minimal fuss. However, they make a huge
difference to those visiting and living in your home.
Ramps
If you have stairs leading up to the front door, consider
adding a ramp beside them. This makes it instantly simpler for a wheelchair to
move up and it is also easier for anyone who has difficulty climbing the
stairs. Ramps are great for children and the elderly alike, as well as
wheelchairs. It also signals that your home welcomes everyone.
Ramps can be built simply and don’t require a lot of
expertise. However, you do need to consider the angle and install a handrail to
make it easier to get up. Hiring a handyman to create this for you will take a
weekend if that long, or you can build it yourself.
Wider Doorways
Are your doorways wide enough for a wheelchair? Depending on
the current width, you may be able to make do with offset hinges to open the
door completely and allow the full doorway to be used. However, if that’s not
the case, you’ll probably need to redo your doorways and entrances to make
certain they’re wide enough for a wheelchair or walker to get through.
Step-in Showers and
Tubs
Getting into a bathtub can be very difficult when you have
trouble lifting your legs, so a walk-in shower is the best option. If you opt
for one that doesn’t have a lip and only uses glass dividers, you can also use
it with a wheelchair.
Step-in bathtubs also exist and can fit into the same
footprint as your current bathtub. They have a doorway in the side to allow you
to step in easily and then seal the tub up again. This may be more expensive
than your average tub, but it’s worth it to make baths easier.
Lifts
Do you have stairs in your home? If so, the second level may
end up being off-limits to some people, due to mobility problems. If they
struggle to climb a few stairs in the front of the house, imagine the daunting
task of getting up an entire flight.
The easiest solution is to install
a lift. This is a big investment, so it’s not for everyone, but it
does mean that the upstairs can be accessible to everyone who comes to the
house, regardless of mobility. You can install a small lift in a very small
area and today’s eco-lifts mean you don’t even need a machine room for it.
Lifts can fit into an existing space and depending on the structure of your
home, may need minimal construction to set them up.
You can also opt for a stairlift, which simply attaches to
the wall, but these work best for the elderly and those who are hard-pressed to
climb a full flight of stairs but can still move about on their own.
Even if you can’t manage all of these options, making your
home as accessible as possible will boost its market value, make it a better
space to age in, and give your friends and family a comfortable place to visit.
Would you like to learn more about installing a
lift in your home? At ADL Lift Services, we can give you all the information
you need.
Contact us today.
