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How to Make Your Home More Disability Friendly

When you're looking to redecorate your home, you might want to plan for the future – or even the present – by making it more disability friendly.

Mobility is a key issue when it comes to revamping your property and if it isn't currently equipped to cope with mobility scooters or wheelchairs, now could be a good time to make some important changes to your home. Basically, you need to take certain things into account, such as how easily a disabled person can make their way around your home. If your dining room furniture takes up the bulk of the room, or you've got a planted in the centre of the space, it's bound to be difficult for someone in a wheelchair to get around.

You need to make sure all the doorways and halls are wide enough to allow wheelchair or mobility scooter access. You also need to think about whether your light switches and appliances are at a level which makes them easy to use from a mobility-aiding device, so people feel they can do things independently. When it comes to rooms like the kitchen, make sure the useful utensils and equipment are easy to get to. Whether it be on work surfaces or in lower cupboards, so disabled people can still navigate their way around the space.

small bathroom

by john cooke uk

Your bathroom is another room which is important to re-plan. If you've got a small bathroom, it could be very hard for someone in a wheelchair to get into the area, so you need to make sure the space is more disability friendly. Make sure it's easy to get into the shower and put a chair in it to make sure bathing is still a comfortable experience. It might make sense to put sinks lower down if they're currently inaccessible from wheelchair height.

by pflintandco

You may not need to make many changes to your home to make it more accessible for disabled people, but even making some simple changes could make a big difference to someone who's trying to lead as independent a life as possible.