Making Your Home Accessible with Style

Besides finding wheelchair accessible places to go in your wheelchair vans, you want the place you are most comfortable to be accessible as well… your home. There are many areas and ways to make the privacy of your home accessible, but there are also ways to make it look good with current interior design styles.

First priority might be making things as functional as possible instead of hip and stylish, but that does not mean your home has to be boring.

One of the main ways to make the overall layout accessible is by making sure all rooms (bedroom, kitchen, entertainment area, and bathroom) are on the main level. There are ways to make stairs accessible, such as installing handrails, but it is not the easiest option.

Also, you can make it more accessible by lowering hard to reach areas. This includes railings in closets, countertops, and various shelving in pantries, closets, etc.,

For the kitchen area, creating lower countertops and cooking areas make life much simpler for wheelchair users and also help gain independence. Other aspects to include are wide hallways, entryways with ramps, and easy to reach accessible outlets. Doors should be at least 32 inches wide and hallways should be 36 inches wide.

When it comes to the yard (if you have one) you should have accessible paths in the yard and an accessible entrance into your home, which is usually with the use of a ramp.

Whether you have a family member that uses a wheelchair or you need one yourself, we found a couple design inspirations that still look good, but are specifically accommodating for wheelchairs. Here they are:

This accessible kitchen design, The Skyline Lab kitchen, is by Hannah Barnes Design is a sleek design created with easy to reach countertops and worktops.

hannah barnes designs.jpg                                      (image via hannahbarnesdesigns.co.uk)

Here’s a wheelchair accessible loft that was designed by an C.T. Architects with multiple accessible features, including a spacious floor plan and easy to reach outlets. Making Your Home Accessible(image via www.dezeen.com)

So, as there are approximately 54 million people with disabilities in the world today, there is no need to settle for accessible and boring.

How do you make your home accessible? Share your ideas!

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