Learn how to make your home wheelchair accessible.
Everyone should be able to travel around their home freely and easily, regardless of their physical ability. If you or a loved one uses a wheelchair on a daily basis, making your home accessible in all areas is a priority. Fortunately, advancements are constantly being made to make home conditions comfortable and simple for those living with a mobile disability. Discover a few tips for making your home wheelchair accessible.
Focus On The Stairs
One of the major challenges to wheelchair users are the stairs, so it is essential that they are easy to navigate. Preferred Elevator offers exterior and interior lifts that can fit into the design of your home. You could use an outdoor wheelchair lift to access your backyard deck or an indoor stairlift to get up and down your home staircase. If you have steps leading your front door, then you could invest in ramps.
Widen Doorways
When making your home wheelchair accessible, you should take a look at all the doorways in your home. You need to make sure that the doorway is at least 32 inches wide to accommodate the average wheelchair. Depending on the space and layout of your home, you might need to remove one or more door frames or, in most cases, you can add swing-away door hinges to add a few inches so that your doors swing outward completely.
Changing Locations of Fixtures
If you use a wheelchair on a daily basis, you need to ensure that you can reach a variety of fixtures around your home. You will want to look into lowering kitchen and bathroom counters so stove tops, sinks and faucets can be easily accessed. Other features you may want to lower are light switches and peep holes in a door. Another tip is to raise outlets and add some pull out cabinets, so wheelchair uses can access those items easily without the risk of falling.
Preferred Elevator: We’re On the Up and Up!
For 11 years, Preferred Elevator has served residents in Central Maryland, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. You can rely on our experienced home installation team and quality products.
For our commercial elevator clients, we also provide annual inspections of your equipment to adhere to standards established by the state of Maryland. During these inspections, we make sure that your commercial mobility product is functioning correctly and efficiently. We’ll also go over all safety devices and customized features offered within your plan!
Get in touch with us! Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. Reach us by phone at 410-238-2555, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
