Planning ahead

In answer to some of your questions regarding making a home as comfortable as possible for a disabled person, with low maintenance and safety high on the agenda; here are some of the small, yet essential things we picked up on our learning curve of designing a home based on my needs. These ideas are applicable not only for disability but also practical tips planning ahead for old age.

The biggest and most obvious feature being that all doors and corridors are large enough to allow a wheelchair or Zimmer frame to comfortably pass.

Make sure your bathroom mirror is measured and positioned at the correct height, by sitting in a wheelchair in front of the place you intend hanging the mirror. In our bathroom, the mirror has to be hung relatively low to ensure that I can see my face whilst in a wheelchair, yet it has to be high enough for my husband to see himself when standing up. Hence our bathroom mirror has to be quite large to take into consideration both heights.

The kitchen tap has been placed a little further forward than in a regular kitchen, so that I need not bend over or have to stretch to use the tap, and as I mentioned the other day, instead of having the fashionable spindle like lever, we opted for last year's fashion where the lever is far more robust and easy for those with little dexterity.

The toilet roll holder and the safety hand rails are clearly best positioned if you sit on the toilet when marking the place that is the most comfortable and effective for you.

Instead of fiddly hooks for towels, in the bathroom we have large rings that make it easier with impaired dexterity in one's fingers.

The counter top in the kitchen has a small ridge of 1/2 cm around it to stop things rolling off onto the floor.

The runners of the patio doors are sunk into the floor that open leading out into the garden, making a flat as possible surface for easy wheelchair access.

Light switches have naturally been lowered, but also extra switches added so that a corridor can be lit from either end, and likewise the light turned off, no matter which end one is standing.

These are just some of the features that make a huge difference, however small they may appear. There are many more, but if there is anything in particular that you would like to ask about - please feel free to write to me and I would be happy to answer you.