Disabled people are constantly learning new ways to navigate inaccessibility because we live in an inaccessible world that is not designed for disabled people. We sometimes even struggle with accessibility in our own homes because they don’t make houses accessible, and a lot of the time, disabled people have to renovate to make it accessible, which we shouldn’t have to do. Accessibility is important to me because I live with a physical disability that makes a lot of tasks difficult, and I can’t function if accessibility is not prioritized. My home is somewhat accessible, but it’s not completely accessible for me, and that is okay because I still live with my parents and can always ask for assistance. I will likely be living with my parents for a little while longer, but eventually, it will get to a point when my parents are not able to take care of me, and I will have to move to an assisted living facility. Accessibility is not a huge problem for me at the moment, but if I wanted to live on my own and be safe, I would have to make sure my entire home was accessible. What would I need to make my home accessible? In this post, I am going to share a few things that I would need in my home to make it accessible.
Doorways that is more accommodating for wheelchair users- As a disabled person with a physical disability, I am able to walk, and if I am sitting at home, I will use my crutches most of the time and can navigate with smaller doorways. I do prefer larger doorways even though I can navigate a smaller doorway, because I need more space to walk, and it is less likely that I will have a fall when there is more space. Homes often are not made with larger doorways that can accommodate a wheelchair, but that needs to change because disabled people can live on their own with the right accommodations, but it does make it easy when the doorway to my bathroom is not accommodating of my wheelchair. Disabled people need larger doorways because, although I can walk most of the time, I still have surgeries where I will be more dependent on my wheelchair. I don’t understand why they make doorways in homes too small, because it so disabled people have to spend more money on renovations, and is an easy fix.
Microwave that sits on the countertop- When you have Spina Bifida or any physical disability, one of the most common and avoidable injuries happens in the kitchen. People with Spina Bifida often have very little feeling, if any at all, and often burn themselves by putting something hot on their laps because you can’t feel it, or try and use a microwave that is too high. Microwaves often are up higher, which is not usually a problem for non-disabled people, but it is when you are a short disabled person and can’t actually see what is in your microwave. It can be dangerous because all it takes is for you to lose your balance, for something to be too hot, and you accidentally drop it and burn yourself. Microwaves are one of the easiest and most accessible kitchen appliances, but in order for me to use them safely, it has to be accessible and sit on a countertop where everything is level, and I can easily see what is inside. Of course, I can still burn myself with an accessible microwave, but it is less likely that I will get a three-degree burn when I can easily access it. An accessible microwave is a must-have in my home because it’s one of the few kitchen appliances I can easily use.
Minimal amount of rugs– As a disabled person with a physical disability, I think rugs are cute, but I am not a fan of them because they make it more difficult to walk and are more of a trip hazard than anything else. If I lived alone, I would have very minimal rugs in my home because I can’t lift my legs as easily as someone without a disability while I am walking, and it’s so easy for me to trip on a rug. I might have a rug in my bathroom, but I would not have them throughout my whole house because it would cause me to fall more often.
Remotes to turn on lights– I am able to turn on my main lamp in my room with a remote which makes my life so much easier because it allows me to not have to get up every single time I want to turn on a light which can be difficult when you have a physical disability. Some disabled people, have their entire home hooked up to Alexa and I get why some people do that because if you have a disability such as blindness it will be easier to tell Alexa to turn on a light rather than look for a remote. I have never had any interest in powering my entire home with Alexa because it can be easily hacked and is a safety risk. I am a fan of having remotes that can turn things on and off and would want them throughout my whole house because I can’t easily turn on a ceiling fan without one and it can be difficult to try and find a light when it’s dark.
Grab bars for my shower- Showering is necessary for good hygiene but it can be difficult when you have physical disability because anytime there is water it increases your risk of falling. I have never had a serious fall in the shower that required medical attention because I am extra careful but I have had a minor slip and fall which I think has probably happened to all disabled people at some point. When you have a physical disability it can be difficult to get in and out of the shower because there is nothing to hold onto which is something I need to be able to get out of my shower safely. Grab bars are very expensive and are an important part of accessibility for me because without them it increases the risk of a serious fall.
Lower cabinets- I am not a fan of high cabinets because I am a short disabled person and can’t easily access higher cabinets safely. Since I am able to stand cabinets don’t need to be as low as they would need to be for a wheelchair user who can’t stand but they would still need to be on my level because although I do have a little more freedom I am still limited. It is not safe for me to stand on a chair and try to get a glass bowl because I can lose my balance more easily and it could be serious. My home might have some higher cabinets but for it to be accessible a vast majority of them would need to be lower and easier to access. In my current home, not all the cabinets are easy for me to access and that is okay because I don’t need to use every cabinet but if I lived alone I would have to prioritize lower cabinets to be able to have independence.
Disabled people face inaccessibility challenges every single day because they don’t even make houses accessible. Some disabled people can afford to do a full renovation of their homes, but not all disabled people have the budget to do expensive renovations, and shouldn’t have to. People often think that accessibility is expensive, and it can be, but it also can be very cheap because sometimes all you need to do to make your home a little more accessible is to get a grab bar for your shower. Inaccessibility challenges in your home are often not something you have control over, because although they should make homes more accessible, they don’t and it’s up to disabled people to make it accessible. These are a few things that I would need in my home to make it more accessible, but it’s not a complete list of everything, and not all disabled people will need the same things as I do. Accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all because we all have different needs, and what is accessible to me might not be accessible to another disabled person. What would you need to make your home accessible? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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