Is your Home Welcoming to Guests with Disabilities?

The crockpot has been stewing since this morning. Your partner should be home any minute with that fancy bottle of wine you “asked” them to pick up. It’s only a matter of time until your old college friends arrive from out-of-state.

*Ding, Dong* you rush to the door, and open it with a smile. But that smile quickly fades as you look down your steep porch steps and realize Heather’s partner Adam is still recovering in a wheelchair from his trampoline accident last July.

Maybe that scenario struck a familiar chord. Probably not, since it’s a bit rare for a loved one to show up in a wheelchair without your knowing! Even more rare that they injured their leg on the trampoline. That said, what isn’t rare are the changing needs of friends, family, and loved ones as we age.

As we age‚ we need to consider the homes we live in and how our changing needs will be accommodated. However, sometimes it’s not just about our accessible needs.  As we age‚ so do the people in our lives. Our parents, other relatives, friends, and even our pets are becoming older. Your own health levels might not require an accessible home quite yet‚ but you may want to consider making your home visitable for the important people in your life.

Visitability is a growing consideration when doing home renovations‚ building a new home, or buying a house. Not only are handicapped accessible home renovations a smart investment for aging in place, but they can even add to your resale level, and most pertinent to this article – your home will be welcoming to friends and family of all abilities.

Always wanted Thanksgiving at your place? Implement these three solutions for a handicapped accessible home and you’ll be hosting every year. Never want to host Thanksgiving? There are a lot of good deals on cruises that time of year.

Three Solutions for a Visitable Home:

1. No step entrance. Even a couple of steps at the entrance of your home creates enough of a barrier to those in wheelchairs. A permanent solution would be a ground levelled front porch and doorway. Home owners with this feature also appreciate the easy access they have‚ especially when moving furniture or appliances into and out of their home. Alternatively, a flat entrance through the garage or side door could work just as well. Or a small portable wheelchair ramp could work wonders.
2. Wider doorways. Wheelchairs require a minimum 32” wide doorway to easily pass.  Wider is always better. This applies to all doorways on the main floor‚ including the main entrance‚ transitions between rooms, and bathroom doors.
3. Accessible first floor bathroom. A main floor powder room should have a wider doorway‚ but also requires the sink to be either adjustable or wall mounted‚ so there is at least 27” of knee clearance underneath. The top rim should also be at maximum 34” high.  There should be a grab bar to the side of the toilet‚ as well as a 30” x 48” space for a wheelchair to maneuver‚ clear of any interference.
   • We know what you are thinking. “I don’t want a grab bar as a focal point in the bathroom when I don’t need it myself.” Luckily, we’re here to tell you that grab bars can be stylish as well as functional:
     • Take our Side of Toilet Wave Bar with Toilet Roll Holder as an example. The curved bar is sleek, polished, and functions as a toilet roll holder. Also available in a bronze and satin stainless steel finish.
     • Or the equally stylish Piano Curved Grab Bar Towel Rack. Sophisticated support for you and your towels.
     • If you are looking for something more temporary, consider a Bathroom Support Pole. Perfect for transferring from a toilet, bed, or chair, support poles are portable, easy to step up, and require no drilling.

Typically a visitable home does not need to provide a bathing‚ cooking or sleeping area for someone in a wheelchair‚ but these are other areas you could consider adjusting if a close family member in a wheelchair will be visiting often.

Other things to consider for a Visitable Home:

• Lever style handles on doorways
• Making an outdoor space‚ like a backyard patio‚ accessible
• Coverage over part of the garage‚ where a visitor will be transferring from a vehicle into a wheelchair‚ offering protection from various weather conditions
• Keeping rooms free from obstructions‚ such as a fireplace hearth flush with the rest of the floor and having lots of storage to keep clutter out of the way

There you have it! Your home can be a place where everyone and anyone feels welcome. Do you have frequent guests who require some assistance? Any tips for an accessible home? Please share! As always, it was a pleasure writing for you. Thank you for reading!

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