Accessibility

 I have been involved in a number of projects to improve wheelchair accessibility and other facilities for  people with disabilities, all of them on university campuses. But what do we need to do if we become disabled or have a wheelchair-bound family member in terms of our home? Adapting for accessibility can be quite expensive, so it is important to get it right first time, not least for the dignity and comfort of the user.

I have been very fortunate to have wheelchair users take me round their workplaces, highlighting features that compromise their mobility. An example was a beautifully equipped bathroom that could not be accessed in a wheelchair as the entrance passage was too narrow!

Before starting your alterations, see if you can borrow or hire a wheelchair for a couple of hours to do a "walkabout" of your home to identify problem areas. The first thing you may notice is the number of level changes and steps: a proficient wheelchair user can manage one or two steps, but more than this will need either a ramp or a wheelchair lift.

Stair lift
(Creative Commons Licensed: https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/amp/media/stair-elevators-lame-help-774118) 

The photo highlights one of the serious challenges of universal accessibility - a feature that allows access for people with disability may compromise other building users - here the lift encroaches on the stairs, contravening the fire safety regulations. 

Continuing with our "walkabout", are all the door openings wide enough for the wheelchair to pass through comfortably? What about passages - are there tight corners that are difficult to manoeuvre? These are costly to remedy, so it would be worth getting the services of an architect or designer who specialises in universal accessibility before calling in a builder.

Furniture is a different story - here you may find that you need to remove one or two pieces in each room to allow for ease of circulation. You may also want to remove loose carpets and floor rugs as they can be a nuisance. Generally, try to reduce the clutter in all your spaces, and maybe put these extra items in storage or sell/donate them if this needs to be a long-term arrangement.

A wide doorway with generous space between furniture

While you have the wheelchair, check the outdoors of your home - are there comfortable spaces that are easily accessible? Is it a good idea to introduce some ramps and paving? If you live in a flat, you may need to negotiate with the owners or the body corporate trustees if you want to adapt the public areas, but this could potentially improve the amenity of the building for all users if well designed.

The room that usually needs the most adaptation is the bathroom. Is there enough space to have the wheelchair in this room, close the door and still be able to access the facilities? You may need to remove the bath and replace it with a shower to create that additional space, or you may have to enlarge the room. Either way, this can be quite expensive, so again this is important to get it right with the assistance of a specialised professional. The bathroom will need to be fitted out with a number of handrails for the toilet, basin and shower or bath. The shower will also need a seat, although this can fold back against the wall if the shower is quite small.

A bathroom fitted out with handrails
(Creative Commons Licensed: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henri_dunant_3_natte_cel.jpg)

This photo of the bathroom has great detailing: the shower opens out on two sides, and there is no step into the shower. One of the rails to the toilet folds away, giving better access to the shower - it is these small details that often make a huge difference for the person needing to navigate the space.

In many ways, the kitchen is even more difficult to adapt for a wheelchair user, as the counters in a conventional kitchen are too high for many everyday tasks, such as chopping food, stirring pots on the stove and washing dishes. If your wheelchair user is permanently disabled and does much of the cooking, it may be worth investing in a kitchen refurbishment, but otherwise, some of these tasks could be carried out at a conventional table, whether within the kitchen or in an adjacent room, such as chopping vegetables at the dining room table.

I have mainly focused on wheelchair users, as this is where the biggest structural changes may be needed, but people living with other disabilities, such as vision impairment, may need other adaptations. Again, the best way to evaluate your space is to do a simulation: try navigating your spaces with a blindfold on to identify the obstacles, but have another adult close by to direct you!