How to Improve Your Home’s Accessibility

People are spending more time in their homes today than ever before, which is partially due to extended life spans. With a few updates in the home, you can make your life easier and safer for the future. Learn how to improve your home’s accessibility in this video by The Home Depot:

Throughout the Home

Obstacles related to mobility, hearing and sight can be a challenge as you get older. You can become barred from entering areas of your home in a wheelchair if doorways and spaces aren’t wide enough or if you don’t have the proper support mechanisms in place to keep you stable as you walk around the home. Access to switches and appliances is also important.

For better navigation, allow for a wheelchair turning radius of 60 inches throughout the home. Doorways should be 36 inches wide. Place light switches at a lower height, no more than 48 inches if you have wheelchair needs. Ensure all areas of the home are well-lit. Use appliances with remotes or smart home systems that allow you to control appliances easily. Install handles, grab bars, rails or the appropriate molding around the entryway of your home or any appropriate indoor area that requires walking. Bed rails are also handy for getting in and out of bed.

For emergencies and security, remote devices play a big role. Install voice-activated household intercoms in your most frequented areas. Enhance the sound alerts around the home to include sight activation such as doorbells with strobe light technology. Smoke alarms with voice alerts offer additional safety by identifying specific hazard types.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, accessibility to faucets, toilets and tubs, along with the height of fixtures, is important for people with limited mobility. Consider installing hand rails or safety rails to assist you or a loved one in using toilets, showers and bathtubs. To reduce bending, use toilet bowls that are 17 inches high. Also, use sensor control toilets; they control the opening and closing of the toilet seat and cover.

Make your bathtub walk-in accessible. Walk-in bathtubs with mounted grab bars provide stability and make it easier to enter, exit or sit in the tub. Or for a simpler and quicker option, you can even retrofit your existing tub. You can also install a low threshold shower or customize your existing shower to accommodate your needs using a roll-in shower kit. To help prevent scalding, use temperature-controlled shower and tub faucet handles.

Ensure that your bathroom mirrors are no higher than 40 inches off the floor to accommodate a wheelchair. For additional safety, install motion-activated night lights in and around the bathroom area for clearer mobility.

Kitchen

The height and placement of appliances and cabinets can be an obstacle if you or a loved one has low mobility. Consider raising your dishwasher to a comfortable level for efficient operation. Also, lower your oven and microwave and have shorted cabinets installed to lower your countertops for easier wheelchair access. The countertop should not exceed 34 inches for people in wheelchairs according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Incorporate motion sensors on faucets.

Install large cabinet pulls to operate your cabinets more efficiently. Consider cabinet latches that allow you to open and close cabinet drawers with a single tap. For high wall cabinets, use pull-down shelves so you can maximize your reach.