A wheelchair-accessible home makes access and mobility easier for people in a wheelchair.
Improving the accessibility of your home will create a welcoming and accommodating experience for homeowners, tenants and guests.
While some minor changes can be completed, such as installing an access ramp or widening the entryway to your home, you should consider the long-term value of advanced modifications.
From installing a home lift to reconsidering the floor choice throughout, the changes you make now will create a more wheelchair accessible home for many years to come.
Benefits of wheelchair accessible homes
Wheelchair accessible homes:
Create a more accommodating and accessible home for all guests
Can help to increase the resale value of your property
Open up a wider market for property investors and landlords
Provide long-term living potential for owner-occupiers
Wheelchair accessible homes don’t need to cost a fortune either. By making some key accessibility investments in your home, you’ll benefit from the long-term advantages.
4 Home accessibility modifications for wheelchair users
Before purchasing a home, consider how wheelchair friendly the house is, and if it has the room, space and design that can be adapted to become more accessible. Ask yourself questions such as:
Is there room to increase the width of entryways and internal doorways?
If the home is multi-story, is there space to install a home lift?
Take into consideration the entry from the street. Is the ground even or will you need room to install a ramp or chair lift?
If you’re planning to renovate your current house and want to find ways to create a more accessible and wheelchair friendly home, follow this four-step guide.
1. Create a wheelchair friendly entrance
Entrance to a property should be made as easy as possible for people in a wheelchair.
And this begins with the driveway. Installing electric gates (as opposed to manual gates) is not only a great security measure, but it makes the property far more accessible for people in a wheelchair, particularly if the gates can be operated via a remote control.
Ideally, your home will already have wide and open entryways. You may have also already chosen a home that has the front door level with the street and driveway, free from steps or ledges.
However, sometimes a home has a less accessible entrance.
If your home includes a set of stairs to the main door, consider installing a wheelchair access lift to make entry more accessible. While installing a deck ramp will work in some situations with slight inclines or only a few stairs, a wheelchair access lift will provide unparalleled access to your property.
It also makes transporting shopping, furniture and prams a breeze!
2. Selecting wheelchair accessible flooring options
Wheelchair accessible flooring should:
Provide enough friction and grip, while still allowing the wheelchair to glide smoothly
Be durable and make it easy to clean scuff marks and scratches
Create a seamless transition between rooms using the same floor option throughout
When considering the best flooring ideas for wheelchair users, it is usually best to stick to a durable, level and easy to clean option. Some of the most common accessible flooring options include vinyl, laminate, timber, polished concrete and non-slip tiles.
While carpet may not come to mind as the best option for wheelchair accessibility, some carpet options still work for people in a wheelchair - commonly commercial-grade low, loop pile carpet.
It’s usually best to visit a flooring store in person and speak to an experienced team member, rather than buying online. Some companies may also provide samples to take home and experiment with.
3. Open up your kitchen and living rooms
Open plan living, while a relatively new concept, has become the norm for new construction since the 1990s. The use of spacious free-flowing areas throughout the home has made open plan living perfect for buyers seeking a more accessible new home.
If you’re currently living in an older style home, there’s still a lot that can be done to create an open and accessible living area, kitchen and hallway.
Speak to a builder about removing some walls between your living room, dining room and kitchen. Consider widening doorways to bedrooms and bathrooms. A door specialist could also install automated doors to make transitioning between rooms easy.
While you may be restricted with space in some older homes, there are so many resources, tips and guides available, with creative ways to make the most of your space.
4. Introduce assistive technology
Advanced assistive technology enables you to control your home environment via voice activation or an app. Features such as lighting, air-conditioning, blinds and bedroom doors can all be controlled through assistive technology.
There is also an option to control home features with a joystick on the arm of a wheelchair, utilising bluetooth and infrared capabilities. The wheelchair can be programmed to integrate with the main system so that the wheelchair user can turn off, on, up and down as they choose.
Assistive technology creates opportunities for people with disabilities to live more independently and more easily in their own home.
5. Consider multi-level wheelchair lifts
If there is one thing to remember, multi-level homes are not off-limits to people in a wheelchair. There are many creative and innovative ways to make a multi-story home accessible for wheelchair users.
One of the most reliable options when creating an accessible home is to install a residential lift.
Home lifts can be integrated into your current home design, providing fast and reliable access to multiple levels. Useful for everyone, home lifts shine when it comes to creating a wheelchair accessible home.
While you can make some changes yourself to create a wheelchair-friendly home, installing a multi-level residential lift is best left to the experts.
Get started on your accessible home journey
Ready to create a wheelchair accessible home?
Depending on the scale of work you’re hoping to complete, there are some wheelchair-friendly changes you can manage by yourself, and some that are best left to the professionals.
If you’re looking to rent a wheelchair accessible home, please contact the friendly team at Sana Living today. They have a range of SDA housing options across WA, QLD and SA to suit your needs.
