Adapting to life in a wheelchair can be difficult for anyone, but it becomes even more challenging when your home is not well suited to a wheelchair user’s needs. If you or a loved one now relies on a wheelchair to get around, you might need to make some modifications to your home to accommodate this mobility need. Keep reading to learn about some of the home modifications you may need to consider for better accessibility.
Wheelchair Ramps
One of the most common modifications to make a home wheelchair-accessible is the installation of a wheelchair ramp. Many homes have steps up to a front porch, which can’t be navigated with a wheelchair. Ramps can be installed in place of these stairs in locations like porches and decks for easier access to the home. Ramps can come in a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and concrete, so you should do your research to determine which option best meets your needs. Just make sure that your ramps are installed at a safe slope, as outlined by the ADA.
Wheelchair Lifts
In places where wheelchair ramps are not practical, wheelchair lifts can be an excellent solution for making all areas of the home more accessible to wheelchair users. These lifts are basically mini-elevators, and can carry both the wheelchair and the user up a few feet to overcome an elevation change. Though most commonly used outdoors, wheelchair lifts (also known as vertical platform lifts or VPLs) are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Widening Doorways
Many homes have narrow doorways that are a nuisance even to ambulatory individuals. For those in wheelchairs, however, those doorways can be completely inaccessible. Doors in your home should be at least 32 inches wide to comfortable accommodate you or your loved one, so you can move through the doorway in a wheelchair without fear of banging your knuckles on the doorframe.
Threshold Ramps
Even if a doorway doesn’t have stairs leading up to it, they can still be inaccessible if they have a high threshold. While these little bumps at the bottom of the doorway may not seem like a problem when you’re walking through a door, rolling through that same doorway in a wheelchair gets a lot more difficult when one is present. Adding a threshold ramp—essentially, miniature wheelchair ramps for doorways—over these bumps can provide a smoother transition over the threshold for anyone in a wheelchair.
If you or a loved one now uses a wheelchair, don’t hesitate to find the best wheelchair rampsand other accessibility modifications for your home. You deserve to retain as much independent mobility in your home as you can.