After writing about housing services for persons with disabilities, we wanted to write about making your house handicap accessible. If you have a physical impairment, your house may need to be modified to make it safe and accessible for you.

Whether your impairment is the consequence of a congenital disease, an accident or injury, or the aging process, you should think about modifying components of your house to meet your individual needs. Here are some ideas for making your house handicap accessible.

Entryway Steps Should Be Removed or Modified

If you have a physical impairment, the steps leading to your house might be difficult. Even a few stairs make it tough, if not unattainable, for a wheelchair user to enter a structure. Stairs will be difficult and perhaps dangerous if you use a walker or forearm crutches.

Adding a metal wheelchair ramp will increase your home’s accessibility. Ramps can be made of wood or metal, and prefabricated variants are obtainable from specialized firms. Your ramp should slope upward at a 2:12 ratio for safety. That is, for every two inches of vertical increase, you should have one foot off the ramp. Before constructing a ramp, keep in mind that you’ll need to get a building permit. Before you begin, check your local municipal codes.

Another issue is entryway thresholds. You can construct a threshold ramp if your front door is slightly elevated — that is, if there is a little lip between the exterior and inside of your property. This is a little angled piece of metal or rubber that makes it simpler to cross the threshold. Threshold ramps are available at a range of specialist and major home improvement retailers.

Install an Elevator or Stairlift

If your home includes a second floor or a basement, you may have difficulty accessing those rooms. Stairlifts come in a variety of forms and pricing ranges. Some are permanent house changes, while others are movable but may require the assistance of another person to use. Elevators are another alternative for moving between levels in your house. Today’s models may be blended into your existing décor and fit in flawlessly. Finally, the simplest thing to do is to get a ranch or a home with fewer steps so you can easily reach all areas, whether it’s the bedroom or your home office.

Handrails should be installed on both sides of the stairs.

Rails should go beyond the initial and last steps. Stair hand railings are installed for everyone’s safety. They are useful for tiny children, the elderly, or someone who has accidentally broken his leg. The extension of the handrails beyond the steps helps a visually impaired individual to get a sense of the stairs without stumbling on them. It also makes it easier for older individuals to navigate the steps safely.

Make the Bathroom More Secure

If you have a handicap, bathrooms may be extremely dangerous. That is why you must take precautionary measures. Install grab bars in the shower and bathtub, for example. Most people’s grips are best served by a regular 1.5-inch bar. Metal bars that are permanently attached to your home’s studs are available, as are detachable suction cup variants. Just make sure they pass a tug test to ensure they stay in place while in use. Otherwise, slip and fall incidents are possible. Grab bars should be provided in strategic locations to assist you in rising from a sitting position or transitioning from a wheelchair to a shower chair. A shower head grab bar, in addition to the tub wall, adds security and allows you to stand up to reach the shower head/wand.

A bathroom can also be made accessible by converting the bathtub with a zero-entry shower. The edges of a bathtub might make it difficult to properly step into the shower. By removing this barrier, you may securely walk or roll into the shower. You can bathe while seated if you use a non-slip shower chair.

Floor tiles should be slip-resistant and skid-proof.

It goes without saying why we want a skid-proof or slip-resistant floor in our home. When the floor tiles in the bathrooms have a shiny surface, it becomes quite dangerous. An unintentional misstep can cause problems for anybody. And, yes, the bathroom should include fittings that can support an adult’s weight so that if she slips in the bathroom, she can save herself by grasping the fittings. Stronger fittings also benefit persons with muscular dystrophy by allowing them to grip items that are useful for them when getting up.

Improving your home’s accessibility will make you feel more safe and independent. These suggestions will assist you in transforming your house into a handicap-accessible refuge.

Finally, here are some last thoughts on making your home handicap accessible:

There are suitable ways to make your house handicap accessible whether you are renovating or building a new one.