Whether you’re a home owner or property developer, it’s important to make sure your space is accessible. Although an electric wheelchair can help you to get around quicker, making long-term changes could be for the best. Here, we look at how you can make a property more disability-friendly through simple adaptations.
Access Ramps
If the entrance to your property has steps, you should consider installing a disabled access ramp. This is vital for making premises more accessible for those who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters. This is a relatively simple and cost-effective solution that will make entering and leaving your property much easier for disabled people.
There are a couple of different options here. Firstly, you can invest in a permanent ramp if a disabled user will be entering and leaving the property regularly. Alternatively, you can purchase portable, temporary ramps that can be folded and stored when not in use.
Extended Doors and Entry Systems
It can be difficult to enter and exit a property in a wheelchair through a regular size door. So it may be worth installing large extended doors at the front and back of the house to reduce this inconvenience. If extended doors won’t work for your property, then try double doors instead. Either option will do the job!
It’s also important to consider the property’s entry system. If a disabled person needs to open the door with a key, is it easy to reach? If you have a house alarm system, will they be able to access the keypad to turn it off and on? You may need to reconsider the heights and locations of these to support their independence.
Interior Changes
Houses of a certain age and build tend to have narrow hallways which can be difficult to navigate. If this is the case, you made need to undertake some renovation work to widen these spaces for wheelchair access. The same applies to other rooms of the house, particularly the bathroom and kitchen.
Installing handrails is a simple and easy solution that will maintain freedom of movement. You may also want to adjust the locations of drawers and cupboards to ensure they are easily accessible.
Another thing to consider when adapting an interior is the window openings. A great way to make these more disability-friendly is to install electric windows. Instead of needing to reach the handles, they can be opened and closed at the touch of a button.
All of these adaptations will help to make your property much more disability-friendly. It is key to ensuring those with disabilities have freedom of movement and independence.
