Accessible homes are suitable for individuals with disabilities. It’s an essential part of constructing or renovating a home if there’s an elderly or young person in your family with any physical disabilities.
Usually, a standard house designed with an easy-to-navigate system is ideal for people with disabilities. However, many homeowners nowadays are trying to future-proof their houses by ensuring minimum accessibility in them.
If you’re wondering how to make your home more accessible, here are ten smart ways to do it.
1. Install Ramps and Lifts
Having ramps or lifts in the house is one of the most effective ways to make your home accessible.
Ramps are effective for wheelchair users, making their entrance and exit from the house smooth. Conversely, if you have a multi-storied home, lifts can be helpful to allow them to move between floors.
Both ramps and lifts can help disabled people move without using stairs.
If you want to install a lift in your house, opt for the best services like HomeLift and the like to get the best lift facilitated in your home.
2. Widen Your Doorways
Standard or regular doorways aren’t suitable for individuals with disabilities. They find it challenging to access or exit the house if they’re using wheelchairs or walkers.
Hence, make sure the gap between the two sides of the doorway is at least thirty-two inches wide. Thus it will be easier for them to move through the doors with their walking or moving devices.
Widening the doorways not only facilitates easy moving for disabled people but also enhances the outlook of your interior.
3. Add Touchless Technology
Touchless tech is a smart way to increase accessibility, especially for doors and faucets. You can replace the regular faucets and doorknobs with lever handles.
Those with minimum moveability and strength can easily operate lever handles, making their daily life a lot more hassle-free.
Besides, faucets, lights, and other home appliances with touchless technology improve the functionality of those disabled.
4. Apply Non-Slip Flooring Materials
It’s not uncommon to lose balance over a slippery floor for anyone. And when you’re talking about the accessibility in your house, tackling this important part should be prioritized, especially for those with mobility challenges.
To handle this hazardous condition, you may consider applying non-slip flooring materials in your kitchen, bathroom, entrance, lobby, etc. Ensuring this is easy if you apply high-coefficient of friction vinyl or textured tiles in those selected areas where moving and gathering are more common.
5. Opt for Bathroom Modifications
One of the most concerning areas for disabled people is the bathroom. Any unfortunate incidents may take place upon losing balance or experiencing physical weakness.
Persons with disabilities must grab a bar while using the toilet or shower to face these challenges. So, consider installing these bars near toilets and showers to support their stance.
Moreover, keep the bathtub accessible too. Replace the conventional tub with a walk-in tub, so your family member with disabilities can easily enter it. Besides, see to it that it has a minimal threshold to smooth entry.
6. Multi-Level Counters
Kitchens with multi-layered counters are one of the best ways to turn the house more accessible. Multi-layered counters consist of lower-space sections to allow wheelchair users to eat comfortably at a shortened height.
This system allows family members or guests with mobility challenges to eat and chat with others who can stand and eat or cook at a regular height.
7. Go for Smart Technologies
Smart technologies have brought a new world in front of us, and adding the features of smart tech has also improved our homes extensively. A few of those smart features can also ease the lifestyle of disabled family members.
One of the most functional features is the remote-controlled tech. Today, you can operate motorized blinds, curtains, or adjustable beds in your house with the touch of your fingers. These features can lessen the daily life hassles of disabled people greatly.
Additionally, smart thermostats and lighting systems are also remarkable features that run on your voice commands or mobile apps. These features are disabled-people-friendly without any doubt.
8. Ensure Well-Lit Spaces
Well-illuminated spaces are undeniably important in a house for all. It ensures safe movement in an accessible environment. So, ensure that spaces like hallways, entryways, corridors, etc., are properly lit to reduce the risk of trips and falls.
9. Use Lever-Operated Windows and Cabinets
Using lever-operated windows and cabinets can be an effective addition to your home-accessibility mission. Appliances with such devices can be easily managed by those facing moving difficulties.
Applying these modifications helps individuals with disabilities operate the windows and cabinets with minimum strength and movement of their hands.
10. Organize Your Furniture
When thinking of accessibility, the arrangement of furniture shouldn’t be ignored. It may not appear as important initially, but once you’re done with this, the spaciousness and increased functionality will show up.
Keep enough space between sofas, tables, and cabinets so moving with wheelchairs can be a lot easier. Also, buy furniture with smooth and rounded edges to eliminate the risk of bumps and injuries.
Why Is Accessibility Important in Your House?
When considering solutions to upgrade your house, accessibility should come to your mind as paramount importance.
Here are some compelling reasons why accessibility is crucial in a house:
- Inclusivity and Equal Opportunity: The accessibility in the home equalizes the comfortable lifestyle for all individuals. It ensures that people with disabilities too can lead their life with peace of mind.
- Aging in Place: Even those who are fit and healthy today may lose mobility and fitness with age, leading to mobility difficulties within the house. Many in this condition may need to move to a better-facilitated house or renovate things at a higher cost.
But having an accessible home can allow individuals to continue living in the same home as they age with familiar surroundings and homeliness.
- Independence and Dignity: Undoubtedly, people in old age and especially those with disabilities, can live with their dignity in an accessible home. It allows them to live happily without being dependent.
- Safety and Reduced Risks: An accessible home consists of various smart modifications and facilities, such as non-slip flooring, grab bars, adequate lighting, etc., that reduces the risk of sudden accidents and injuries for family members, guests, or visitors.
Making your home accessible might come in handy in various situations, be it accommodating a family member with mobility challenges or supporting one with injuries. In short, it adds versatility to your loved residence.
Conclusion
Don’t have this misconception that an accessible home is only useful for individuals with disabilities. It actually enhances the accessibility for everyone who lives there.
Consider applying the modifications and additions in your home as we’ve shared in this article. But do your research also to appropriately meet your needs. Thus you can make your home more accessible and functional soon.
