Making Your Home Accessible: A Thoughtful Approach to Future Needs
Over four million people live with limited mobility or a disability in Australia, and yet, the challenge of finding appropriate, accessible housing remains significant. Many existing homes fall short, leaving those with disabilities facing difficulties in their daily lives. These challenges are compounded by poor access, unsuitable internal layouts, and inadequately designed kitchens, bathrooms, and laundries. Additionally, the lack of good light, connection to outdoor views, and poor locations in relation to transport, services, and amenities further limit life choices.
The importance of Accessibility in Home Design
Creating accessible homes is not just about catering to current needs. It is about anticipating future changes in household’s dynamics and personal mobility. Universal design supports an approach to building and house design that caters to the needs of people with all abilities in the community. A home that is adaptable can serve its occupants well throughout their lives, accommodating changes in needs as they arise. For example, a home designed with flexible spaces that can be easily repurposed – such as converting a ground floor room into a bathroom can be crucial as mobility decreases. Doorways and hallways should be wide enough to accommodate wheelchair access and ensure that any steps at entry points can be replaced with ramps if needed.
The Australian Network for Universal Housing Design is a national network that supports universal design being applied to housing. Their principles discern that housing should be:
- Equitable to use
- Flexible in use
- Simple and intuitive to use
- Easy to interpret
- Safe and sensible to use
- Requiring low physical effort
- Promoting ease of approach to housing features and elements
Furthermore, there are many advantages to designing or building a home that is accessible or future proofing your current property for future needs. Incorporating accessible design principles can help you to ensure your home meets your needs and your family’s needs over time, as well as ensure your home is accessible to other people in the community, including your family and friends, as well as prospective tenants or purchasers.
Renovating or Building for Accessibility
Before commencing any builds or renovations, it is important to consider the personal needs and conditions of your loved ones, or even yourself, to ensure you get the absolute best benefit from your home modifications. A liveable home is designed to meet the changing needs of most occupants throughout their lifetime and can be easily adapted to become accessible.
A good place to start is by thinking about the design features that will allow your home to be easily changed over time: can entryways be easily replaced with ramps, and are doorways and halls wide enough for wheelchair use?
Consider these eight accessible home renovation ideas to help you get started.
- Build Ramps on Entrances
Ramps are one of the top mobility tools to consider, allowing your home to be accessible for people in wheelchairs and those who experience difficulty climbing stairs.
- Widen Doorways and Hallways
Wide doorways and halls are important for wheelchair accessibility. Doorways should be at least 34-36 inches wide to allow for wheelchairs and walking assistance tools.
- Install Grab Bars
The bathroom is the room in the house where the most accidents are experienced, particularly for those with limited abilities and struggle with stability. Installing grab bars around the toilet and shower areas are something to consider. At the very least, allowing space within the bathroom for future installation of these amenities when they are needed more, is also something to consider.
- Opt for Step-In Showers
Step-in showers are a safe and accessible option for individuals who may struggle to step into a shower over a bathtub. An additional step would be to add a shower bench or shower seat for more support when showering.
- Slip-Resistant Flooring
To further ensure safety throughout your property is the installation of slip-resistant flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, or areas of the house prone to being slippery or wet. Rugs and carpets should also have the ends secured so that they are removed as a potential tripping hazard.
- Lowering Closet & Storage Spaces
If an individual experiences difficulty standing or stretching, a way to minimise these actions when accessing clothing or other storage items is to build closets and cabinets lower than the recommended standard height. Closet rods can also be lowered for wheelchair access.
- Additional Space beneath the Bathroom Sink or Vanity
Aside from mobility tools, adding space beneath a sink or vanity can make it significantly easier for individuals in wheelchairs or with limited movement to wash the dishes, brush their teeth, and simply improve access. Just like closets and storage areas, creating lower storage space under the sink could also prove beneficial.
- Keep Everything on the Same Level
While they might be very on-trend and a great way to create intimate spaces within the home, a sunken living room or entertainment area is not necessarily accessible to mobile occupants. Furthermore, if your home is multi-storey, it is also important to consider whether the ground floor can be adapted in the future to suit a wheelchair.