With products like disabled steps, wheelchair ramps, and countless others now readily available, making homes and businesses disability-friendly is now easier than ever before. Whether you yourself live with a disability, or perhaps you care for somebody who does, one thing that is for certain, is the fact that life needn’t be a chore. Of course, coping with a disability of any kind is going to be testing, but for some people, life can simply go on as normal. If you are dealing with a disability however, one of the first things that you will need to do will be to make your home as accessible and disability-friendly as possible, which is where we come into the mix. Here we’ll be sharing a few handy tips to help you make your home as disability-friendly as it can possibly be.
Disabled Steps
First and foremost, one of the first things you will need to consider is installing a set of disabled steps in and around the property. Some disabilities affect mobility, meaning that walking into homes and up high doorsteps could be impossible, not to mention, extremely dangerous. By installing disabled steps in and around the property however, large door steps and high areas that would have previously been inaccessible will all of a sudden be much more accessible, and safer in the process. The steps can be installed permanently, plus there are also portable steps for you to take with you on days out.
Get Rid of Obstructions
Another great way of making a home more accessible and disability-friendly is to remove obstructions and potential trip hazards from each room. For wheelchair users for example, rugs and loose carpets can be very dangerous and can prevent proper mobility. In reality, for any person that is unsteady on their feet, these obstructions can be very dangerous as they could cause them to slip over or lose their footing, which could be disastrous. You should also check flooring and ensure there are no loose tiles or areas of the floor that may wobble. Even a coffee table in the middle of the room could cause issues as you would have to navigate around it, so either place it somewhere where it won’t be in the way, or simply get rid of it altogether.
Stair Lifts
For people that are confined to a wheelchair, or for those that have very limited mobility, especially in their legs, getting up and down the stairs at night and each morning can be a real chore. Now, some of you will simply be saying “why not move into a bungalow”? But in reality, moving house isn’t that simple, and besides which, some people may be extremely happy where they’re living. Stair lifts however, offer a great alternative as they allow a person to safely get up and downstairs without having to risk their life by attempting to make do without it. They’re safe, they’re secure, they’re relatively easy to install, and they make life a heck of a lot easier for all parties involved.