Adapting Your Home for a Disability

There are loads of different types of disabilities and life can change in an instant. An accident can change your life, and it can mean that your home needs to change to adapt to your new circumstances. Before you can adapt your house, you have to determine what kind of disability you are adapting for. If you’ve had a physical disability as a result of an accident or a change in life, it can be a life changer. It’s also going to be something that changes your house for the better. 

With the installation of commercial handrails in the bathrooms and chair lifts up the stairs, you’ll be able to continue to live as freely as possible, even if you have physical limitations. There are plenty of things that you have to consider when you adjust the home to meet your needs. In this article, we’re going to go through a list of them so that you can find it easier to understand how to live your life with your new circumstances.

• Changing the counters. You still need to cook in your kitchen even once disability has been established, so if you are in a wheelchair, you now need to adjust your kitchen counters to be lowered down. You might also find that you need to have an open space underneath your counters rather than built in drawers and washers, because you’re going to need space for your wheelchair to tuck into so that you can make your food. Maneuvering your wheelchair through the kitchen is also going to be a consideration, so you need to speak to somebody who can help you with this adaptation. 
• Change out your appliances. If you have a physical disability that limits your movement in your hands, then you should think about the appliances that you can upgrade or change to make cooking and general living easier. Electric jar openers and can openers are an excellent way to help, and food processors for cutting vegetables are important. When you have a stove to use in the kitchen, the knob should be on the front so that you can reach them if you’re in a chair, and you can still turn on the top oven or the burners. You should do what you can to make your life easy, and that sometimes means some extensive adaptations.
• Out the way you live. Some people who are homeowners tend to change out the bottom half of their home if they have a disability. This means installing a bedroom and an accessible bathroom downstairs. Of course, you don’t have to do this if you prefer to use a chairlift and continue to go upstairs to use a bedroom, but the toilets should still be accessible and you should be able to find the toilets easier. Having one installed downstairs is going to make a big difference to your comfort and your ability to use the bathroom.

The changes that you make to adapt your home for a disability are going to be all about your comfort. Think about these ideas in advance.