When you have a physical disability, everyday tasks can be a challenge. Even the structure of your apartment or house can make your life harder than it has to be. Whether you've dealt with this your entire life or you recently started to live with a disability, you can make these adjustments to live your best life in the home you have.
Ups and Downs
One of the first problems you may consider in a new home is how to deal with multiple floors. Many houses have more than one story and stairs from level to level, and apartment buildings are almost guaranteed to use staircases from floor to floor. If your disability involves limited mobility, paralysis, or anything else that gives you trouble with stairs, you'll have to make some adjustments.
Both homeowners and apartment dwellers can request a contractor to install a ramp from outside if you need to get upstairs to enter the building. Inside a house, you can install an elevator or stair lift to accommodate your wheelchair; in an apartment complex, you can put in a request with your landlord. You should still try to live on the ground floor if you can, in case of a fire or other emergency that renders your electric lift unsafe to use.
Facilities and Fixtures
In your efforts to live independently wherever possible, you have more options available than individuals with disabilities have ever had before. For example, you can request to adjust most fixtures in your home, like door handles, thermostats, and light switches, so that you can reach them on your own. For the fixtures that can't move, like ceiling fan switches, you can add features that still enable you to control your environment yourself.
Bathrooms tend to be a problem area for many people with disabilities, but you can install grab bars at significant points, like next to the toilet and inside the shower, for as much independence as possible. If you renovate your bathroom, you can replace an ordinary bathtub facility with a disability-accommodating shower or install a grab bar or lift so you can get into the shower to wash on your own.
Your kitchen may be another space you find difficult to navigate, but you can make adjustments here as well. With lowered countertops and workspaces and a wide-open floor plan, you should be able to enjoy cooking and preparing food yourself.
And for your entire home, you can have furniture for people with disabilities as well, such as high-support chairs or an adjustable bed.
Walls and Halls
When choosing a new place to live, you'll want to make sure you can navigate the halls and rooms inside, which can be difficult in a wheelchair. Your standard doorways may not do the trick, so you'll likely want to widen them to get around the house or apartment with ease.
If you have the money to build your own place or make extensive renovations, you can construct the house with the hallways wider; if you choose an apartment building, your landlord may accommodate you.
Living on your own with a disability is no easy task, whether you were born with it, lose function through an accident, or just grow too old to live in a home not designed for your needs. With the right tools and adaptations, you can still have a measure of your treasured freedom and independence in your everyday life.
Whether you're a senior adult or a young person with a challenging disability, Robert Cottingham Company
wants you to live independently in a home that's right for you. Get in touch today to see if you're eligible for our income-based housing options.
