|
Disabilities are a fact life for about 300,000 Coloradans. While the Americans with
Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination and
to assure safe, comfortable and equal access to all, it doesn't necessarily answer a disabled
person's needs on the home front.
What, for example, does a disabled individual do when a hallway is too narrow for
wheelchair maneuverability? How do the disabled gain access to a home without a ramp?
These and numerous other issues must be addressed by those who live with disabilities.
Colorado State University Extension can help. A fact sheet, "Simple Home
Modifications for the Disabled," is available at Extension offices. The information
also can be found on our Web site: www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/
When people find themselves depending upon a wheelchair or walker for mobility, they
must come up with simple, inexpensive and suitable modifications in their homes. Two elements
enter the picture -- accessibility and adaptability.
Accessibility describes a site, building or facility that a physically disabled person can
approach, enter and use. Adaptability refers to the flexibility of certain building parts to be
modified to accommodate the needs of disabled people. Examples include kitchen counters, sink
height and grab bars.
Consider accessibility: An adult using an average size wheelchair will need a
maneuvering space of 60 inches of clear floor space to make an entire circle. Hallways must be a
minimum of 36 inches wide and door jambs need to be at least 32 inches wide.
To enter a building, a wheelchair user must have a ramp. The builder must consider the
shortest possible route, elevation in the grade of the land, size of landings at top and bottom of
the ramp, the necessity for handrails and the use of non-skid materials. How to Create Interiors
for the Disabled by J. R. Cary (1978) contains useful, detailed instructions about building ramps.
Information also is available about modifying kitchens that everyone in the household can
use. One particularly good source is Adaptable Housing (HUD-1124) available from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. One simple accommodation is to remove the
doors of base cabinets and cut out the fronts to accommodate a wheelchair. Other considerations
may be to install lazy susans, pullout shelves or easy-to-grasp handles. Heavy pans or canned
goods need to be stored on bottom shelves within easy reach. Top shelving made of clear plastic
makes it easier for a person in a wheelchair to see what's on the shelf.
It's hard to do without bathrooms, and yet many residential bathrooms present a terrible
obstacle for wheelchair users. The rooms are too small, the arrangement of toilet and sink is too
confining, doors are too narrow, and "grab bars" are not installed. Walls need to be reinforced
by a technique called 'blocking' to accommodate the installation of grab bars that can support at
least 250 pounds of pressure. Bathtubs, toilets and mirrors likely will need adaptations.
Some solutions are inexpensive and quick to implement. Consider keeping electrical
cords and telephone cords securely out of the way. Remove small rugs. Install nightlights in
hallways, bathrooms and bedrooms. Install handrails on both sides of stairwells and light
switches at both the top and bottom of the steps.
Homeowners, home builders, and renters can find additional useful information in a
publication from the American National Standards Institute titled American National Standard
specifications for making buildings and facilities accessible and usable to physically
handicapped people. (1986, New York: ANSI). This publication is available from Global
Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way E, Englewood, CO 80112 (1-800-854-7179)
For more information, contact Margaret Miller, Colorado State University Extension in El Paso County, Colorado at (719) 636-8920 or e-mail: margaret_miller@co.el-paso.co.us or contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
|
