A guide to disability home renovations
If you or a family member have a physical disability or are just finding it a little harder to move about the house, mobility renovations can ease the burden and to help to continue independent living.
How can you make your home more accessible for yourself, a disabled or elderly loved one?
The 2018-2019 Government Family Resources Survey revealed that 14.1 million people in the UK live with a disability. 44% of these people are pension age adults while 19% of them are working-age adults.
If you want to think about how to adapt your home to make it more accessible, here’s a quick overview.
Whole house accessibility tips
Flooring to improve mobility
People with wheelchairs and mobility aids may find it challenging to get around if the carpet in your house is thick. Those with a sensory disability may find it unpleasant and overstimulating. Using either thin carpets, vinyl or rubber flooring may be a more suitable choice. Prevent slipping by laying some anti slip mats in areas that can become wet such as the bathroom, kitchen or garage.
Widen doorways for access
You might need to widen your doorways so that you can enter your home with ease using a wheelchair or a mobility walking aid. Depending on your property age, and the approach to the doorway, building regulation requirements require a door opening width from 75cm up to 100cm.
Hidden cords for safety
Be sure to hide cords and cables behind your furniture or mount them to your skirting boards to prevent people with a visual or mobility-related disability from tripping and falling.
Wall colours for contrast
Dark and bright wall colours can be painful to look at for people with sensory or visual disabilities. We recommend choosing a calming hue or something that contrasts your furniture to improve visibility.
Handrails and grab rails
Installing handrails and grab rails is simple and can support you when moving down long hallways, from one step to another or from one room to another.
Ramps to aid movement
The fitting of ramps can help overcome small hurdles that are a big problem, such as changes in floor level or a few back door steps, making rooms and the outside more accessible.
Bathroom
A bathroom is essential to daily life, but it can become difficult to access as a person gets older, or for disabled people due to mobility limitations. That’s why this space often needs updating to ensure it remains functional, practical and accessible to every family member. The bathroom must be a safe and pleasant environment to spend time. Common bathroom modifications include:
Handrails and grab bars
Installing handrails and grab bars next to fixtures like toilets, sinks and showers provide additional support to keep you steady while bathing, sitting down, pulling yourself up, or walking between bathroom facilities.
Sinks and worktops
People in a wheelchair may find it challenging to reach a sink or worktop that is either too high, too low or creates a wheelchair obstruction. In these instances, it would be best to modify the sink based on a person’s particular needs.
Walk-in baths
Installing a walk-in bath with a low step and water-tight door can help you take a bath more easily. Most walk-in baths can replace an existing bath with minimum alteration, meaning a quick installation with little mess.
Toilets for independence
A taller toilet is easier to use than a standard toilet which is too low to the ground. Alternatively a bidet toilet combines a range of hygienic cleaning functions to reduce dependancy on others. Toilet controls and remote controls, operate the heated seat, washing, massaging, auto deodorising and drying functions.
Walk-in shower
A walk-in shower with a low or no step into the shower area with an anti-slip shower base enables easy and safe access to shower facilities. Most walk-in showers can replace an existing bath with minimum changes to bathroom layout. A wheelchair-accessible walk-in shower with no curb –which is similar to a walk-shower – can enable independent or assisted bathing. A simple shower seat can make a big difference to those who find it difficult to stand for the duration of a shower.
Wet rooms for ease
A correctly designed wet room can look modern and stylish while providing easy access for all the family’s washing and bathing needs. A wet room is a great option for smaller bathrooms; if you no longer need or want a bath, you can simply remove it and create a shower area instead. A simple shower panel instead of bulky shower cubicle doors and frame will make the bathroom spacious, lighter and more comfortable to access and easier to keep clean. Ensuring a wet room is water-tight involves specialist materials and additional labour time; for that reason, wet rooms tend to be more expensive to install when compared to a standard bathroom.
Practical bathroom additions
Fitting lower storage that is more reachable than standard mirror vanity is also a good option for people with disabilities. Sliding chairs or transfer benches can help you shower easily and comfortably if you have low mobility. You can even purchase a weighted shower curtain to help retain water within the shower space to help to keep the bathroom dry.
Bedroom
Accessible storage with low hanging rails
If you’re overstretching or straining when taking out or putting away clothing, a longer dresser or cupboard storage with low hanging rails may be more convenient than standard bedroom furniture.
Bed height that’s comfortable
We all start and end our day in our beds, and the right bed height is essential with standard bed heights ranging from 16 to 24 inches (approximately 40 to 60cm). The correct bed height should match the user. You should be able to sit on the bed with your feet flat on the floor with your knees in a straight line with your hips. For those in a wheelchair, to enable easy transfer, bed height should match the wheelchair seat height.
Where a carer is required to assist a person in a bed, they should do so at a safe working height. Variable height adjusted beds must conform to BS EN 60601-2-52; which stipulates that the top platform (bed height excluding mattress) must be capable of being raised to 80cm from the floor.
Lifts and hoists for safe movement
A ceiling lift can help disabled people in getting in and out of bed quickly. If this is not available, a portable floor lift can also be a useful alternative. You may have to reinforce the ceiling before installing this type of ceiling lift system. When a little more care is needed, overhead track hoists provide much-needed lifting assistance when transferring a person in and out of bed or from the bedroom to the bathroom. Modular ceiling track mounting systems can be installed to create a transfer route virtually anywhere around the home. You may have to reinforce the ceilings before installing this type of lifting system.
Stairs
Stairlifts to tackle the stairs
Installing a stairlift is beneficial if climbing the stairs is becoming too tricky. You can either sit on a chair or perch on a platform, so going upstairs can be comfortable and safe again. A stairlift can be fitted to all types of staircases – straight or curved.
Home lifts for wheelchair freedom
A home lift is much the same as a lift you may encounter in a shopping centre, office or hospital. The only difference is that they are smaller and quieter. There is a range of lifts available that will get you between floors quickly and safely. These types of lifts have a small footprint so they can be positioned virtually anywhere in your home – even in a cupboard.
Kitchen
Taps for ease and safety
Pull out taps are essentially taps in your kitchen on a flexible hose. The tap head extends and can be easily be directed where required, allowing you to reach and move the tap quickly and wash things without moving your body. A single-lever or touch-sensitive operation would be also beneficial for you if you have trouble turning a tap handle or holding something with your hand. A single-lever, touch or motion-sensitive tap operation helps if you’re having trouble turning a tap handle or holding something with your hand.
The young and the old are more susceptible to scalding as they generally have thinner skin. By installing a thermostatically controlled tap, or a thermostatic valve before a standard tap, you can be safe in the knowledge that the water will never get too hot. It is a building regulation requirement that all new homes shall have bath taps that do not exceed 48°c; this is good practice to follow when replacing an existing bath or bath tap.
Shallow-basin sinks
When sitting in front of a sink, it is a little easier to grasp dishes and cutlery at the bottom of the basin if the basin is shallow.
Design for efficiency
The three main points in your kitchen, the sink, hob and fridge, make up what kitchen planners call the ‘kitchen work triangle’. The idea is that these three elements are close enough so that they are easily accessible when carrying out kitchen tasks. In essence, you are optimising your kitchen layout.
Wheelchair-accessible worktops and cabinets
Update your worktops and cabinets to a height that suits your needs and enhances the independent use of your kitchen appliances. Worktops installed at different heights can make the kitchen accessible to all the family. Adjustable worktops are a good option, they can incorporate sinks and hobs, but they tend to be a little more expensive. Remember that sharp corners in your home should be rounded off to avoid injuries.
Living Room
Lights, socket-sockets and control switches
Placing switches and sockets at reachable heights is an easy way to make your electrical devices more accessible for you. Building regulation requirements state for new homes the height of switches, socket-outlets and controls should be between 45cm and 120cm from floor level; it is good practice to follow this requirement when refurbishing an older property. Hide the wires and cord behind your furniture or along the skirting boards to avoid tripping over them.
Rugs and other obstacles removed
Arrange your furniture in a way that allows you to move around with either a wheelchair or walker. Rugs, ornaments and freestanding objects may add a unique design element to your room; however, for wheelchair users and those with impaired vision or limited mobility, these items can reduce accessibility and become a trip hazard. Think about clearing away these items to create an inviting, accessible space free of clutter.
The Outdoors
Automatic garage door openers
Installing an automatic garage opener with remote control can be very helpful.
Driveway and path conditions
An uneven driveway with holes and cracks or hard to navigate paths can be a hazard to disabled people or people with mobility issues. Reconfiguring drives, pathways and steps to your front door can significantly reduce the risk of a fall and give you back the confidence to venture outside.
Motion-detecting outdoor lights
As well as enhancing the security around your property, lights that turn on automatically will light up your way in the dark, helping you to navigate obstacles that might otherwise be a hazard.
Outdoor ramps for simple access
You shouldn’t have to think twice about accessing the outdoors, but for some, the thought of navigating a few steps, or uneven ground around the home, can cause great anxiety. Installing concrete, wooden or aluminium ramps with rails and plinths that lead to your front door or from the back door to your garden is a must for wheelchair users and those that find it difficult to walk or climb steps.
Step lifts to cover a few steps
A step lift is an ideal solution where a ramp isn’t practicable. A step lift replaces steps to provide short lift access to a doorway or another floor level. Often seen in commercial applications, but they can be equally viable in domestic properties. In addition, an outdoor stairlift can be fitted to access different parts of the property exterior.
Automatic doors for access
An automated door can be operated by a button, switch, or via a smart mobile phone, meaning the door can be open before you get to it and closes securely behind you. Ideal for those in a wheelchair or with a walking mobility aid.
Doorbells and camera security
The modern doorbell can include cameras and speakers, so you can see who’s at the front door and ask them what they want from the comfort of your armchair. Relatives that live away can receive real time notifications and video of your visitor, adding another level of security and providing peace of mind for those that live alone. Add security cameras to the exterior of your house to keep a watchful eye on the garden, or add a camera indoors so loved ones can see that you’re keeping well.
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