Home Improvement Projects for More Accessible Spaces
28 July 2023You deserve to feel safe and at ease in your own house and lot Philippines. And it's possible that you or a family member may need to make some adjustments to your house in order to make it accessible and safe for someone who has a physical impairment.
Well, it's surely great that our society is now more disability-friendly, plus benefits are given through a PWD ID.
But even in a setting as familiar as one's own home, people with disabilities may have to adjust the way they go about their daily routines. When we are faced with a new disability, our home environment may rapidly become a hostile one. It may be stressful to attempt to adjust to a world where everyday things like stairs, restrooms, doorknobs, and certain surfaces are suddenly dangerous.
That is why it is great to know that there are options available to help you resume a regular routine at home. Home improvements may make a house safer and more comfortable, as well as provide you with more freedom to do things on your own.
14 Ways to Make Your Home More Disability-Friendly
There are several ways in which houses may be modified to make them more accessible for people with various types of disabilities and mobility issues. From addressing potential fall hazards in the kitchen or bathroom to ensuring that a property is suitable for wheelchair access, we will go through a range of options to make your house more welcoming to those with mobility issues.
- In entryways
Put in a ramp.
Anyone with physical disability that require mobility aids would benefit from a ramp leading up to a doorway, not only those in wheelchairs. It is recommended that you verify the local building rules to see whether a permit is required to install a ramp or you can opt to have a portable ramp instead.
Adjust and widen the doorways.
It might be difficult to fit a wheelchair or walker through standard-sized doors. Although it may be expensive to have the entryway widened, you may easily gain a few inches in width by installing offset hinges, which allow the door to swing out of the way.
Consider to install automatic doors.
Automatic doors aren't as prevalent as they once were, but you may have them for a more accessible home. Wheelchair users might benefit greatly from them, which are often installed in public places. You may want to think about this choice since it provides the possibility of improved accessibility by taking away the need to manually unlock doors.
- In the living room
Swap off the carpet with hardwood floors.
Changing from carpet to hardwood flooring may make getting about the house much simpler for anybody, whether they use a wheelchair or have other mobility issues.
People with mobility issues, such as those who have problems raising their feet off the ground, should avoid walking on carpets, particularly those with a deep pile. Changing the flooring in your house is an easy, very inexpensive, on-the-go solutions yet visually significant improvement you can make. Similar to how enormous carpets may be a tripping hazard if they're not firmly attached to the floor, they can be a source of frustration.
Reconsider the furniture placement.
In the house, furniture may be a major stumbling block for those who have trouble moving around or who use wheelchairs. Disabled people will find a location much more livable if care is taken to strategically put furnishings.
By clearing furniture off walkways, minimizing the number of small, hard-to-navigate places, and eliminating any sharp or blind corners, you can make your house much more user-friendly. Make sure that commonplace things like cooking equipment, serving dishes, novels, and television remotes are all stored in convenient, easy-to-reach areas.
- In the kitchen and dining area
Adjust the height of worktops
Raising or lowering counters is a significant undertaking when making your house accessible to people with disabilities. If you or a family member utilizes a wheelchair, though, this may make a huge improvement in the home's accessibility.
When evaluating the height of your countertops, you have two choices. The first is to entirely modify the height such that all or almost all of the area is wheelchair accessible. If this isn't feasible, you might look for adjustable-height worktops, which let you change the height to suit whoever will be using them. This comes in handy when there are numerous people using the same space but needing different heights.
- On the toilet and bath
Install some handrails or grab bars.
Stability aids such as grab bars should be installed in the bathroom, particularly near the toilet and the shower. Most individuals can comfortably grasp a bar with a diameter of 1-1/2 inches.
Set up a riser on your toilet seat.
Those who have problems stooping or rising from the toilet seat may find a toilet riser to be helpful. You can get risers for around Php 3, 000 at most drug stores and home improvement centers.
Invest in a flip-down shower chair.
A foldable shower chair is a convenient solution for those who have difficulty standing while showering. If you don't have a bathtub but need a place to sit during your shower because you can't stand for lengthy amounts of time, a foldable shower chair is an excellent option.
Installing a flip-down model ensures the seat is fixed to the wall, making it safer than a free-standing chair that may topple, and allows for easy storage when no one is using the shower.
Plan on getting a walk-in shower.
To make your bathroom more accessible for those with mobility issues, consider installing a walk-in shower. In order to reduce the potential for slips and trips, shower-over-bath designs eliminate the need to step into the shower floors as it safety features. The shower is also easy access for those using wheelchairs or those with mobility challenges since there are no bathing barriers. Even more helpful is a walk-in shower, sometimes called a level-access shower, since it doesn't need stepping up onto a high tray.
- For bedrooms on the upper floor
Invest in a set of handrails on the stairway.
An extra handrail could be all that's needed if you or a loved one still has to utilize the stairs but find it helpful to have some extra support while doing so. Staircase safety may be improved by having handrails on both sides. The railing should be extended beyond the first and last steps. Those with vision problems will find this especially helpful, since it will allow them to steady themselves before stepping up the steps.
Modify the doorknobs and faucets.
Many impairments limit a person's dexterity, making it difficult to operate objects like doorknobs and certain types of faucet fittings.
The spherical doorknobs that need a strong grip to turn should be replaced with lever-style handles that can be dragged down instead. The same holds true with sink faucets. Lever designs, which need less strength and provide the user with more area to pull, are preferable to those that require a rotating motion to operate.
It's always the best choice to have a space you can call your own when you want to make your home accessible to everyone. Now, getting your ideal home investment for your family is much easier with the affordable house and lot for sale being offered by Lumina Homes.
From townhouses to duplexes and single-firewall units, you can choose the best affordable house and lot for your family or even for independent living while having prime convenience for almost everything! Accessibility, movability, and convenience. Discover all these benefits now in our sustainable community and schedule a site visit now.
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