In the United States, there are around 2.7 million wheelchair users. Even though there are many people who rely on their wheelchairs to get them from one place to another, it doesn’t seem as though the world is wheelchair friendly.
Bigger businesses might be wheelchair accessible, but smaller businesses don’t always have the means to make those in a wheelchair feel comfortable.
The last thing you need is to experience this issue in your own home. When using a wheelchair at home, you should be at ease.
Continue reading below to learn everything you need to know about using a wheelchair with ease in your own home.
Invest in Lifts and Ramps
Before you begin to make changes to the inside of your home, start by adding lifts and ramps to the exterior.
If your home has stairs leading to the front door, then you want to install a ramp nearby. If your home is located on a hill or if there’s any type of elevation, then a ramp is required.
Once you can easily enter your home in a wheelchair, you should then consider installing lifts and ramps inside the home as well. Both are essential for homes with stairs or homes with rooms at different elevations, even if it’s only a one-step difference. Small ramps are also ideal for doorways leading to the exterior of the house, making it easier to glide a wheelchair over the frame.
A professional wheelchair ramp builder will discuss the wheelchair ramp average cost with you and all the small details of the project as well.
Widen the Pathways and Doorways
All pathways and doorways should be between 36 and 48 inches wide. This is true for your exterior pathways as well. The sidewalk leading up to your front door should be free of any obstacles and any trees or shrubs that might make the pathway more narrow.
Use a measuring tape inside your home to determine if you need to rearrange furniture so that a wheelchair can easily maneuver throughout the house without a problem. If the doorways aren’t wide enough, then you may need to have the door frames replaced.
Bring the Countertops Down
A wheelchair-accessible home isn’t just about being able to get in and around the home with ease. It’s also about maintaining the quality of life and ensuring that anyone in a wheelchair can do all the same things in that home that anyone else can do. One way to do this is to bring the countertops down.
Lowering the countertops to around 28-34 inches is ideal. You should also leave open space under countertops where sinks are so a wheelchair can fit under the counter and access the sink.
Is Your Home Wheelchair Accessible?
How wheelchair accessible is your home? Do you need to make a few changes? Having a wheelchair at home requires creating a space where anyone using a wheelchair can function the same as anyone else.
Use all of these helpful wheelchair tips for home to get started! For more home improvement topics, check back here often.