ACCESSIBILITY - SPECIAL NEEDS PROJECTS AND ELEMENTS
To contact us call (206) 356-1172 or to e-mail us at: ropheim1@gmail.com
Wheelchair access and fall protection can help keep someone live in their house longer.
Trip-and-fall scenarios are a common cause for broken hips and other health issues. The most common places for trip-and-fall injuries are: stairways without solid handrails that are the right size for the hand-grip, loose carpets at doors and kitchens, slippery floor surfaces when they get wet, and uneven walking surfaces where toes can catch on edges causing falls. I went through this with both of my parents.
Built environment features to help with these issues include: handrails and grabs in the bathroom - next to the toilet, tub, and showers; add appropriate handrails on all stairs - inside and outside; replace sliding glass doors with swinging doors, and install flat concrete walkways and ramps.
Senior Limited Mobility Remodel and Addition - Kenmore, Washington
This client was mobility impaired and used a manual wheelchair and a walker.
The photographs above show: lowered pull-out cabinets, lowered kitchen cabinets, a large roll-in or walk-in linen closet, and a ramp up to the front door.
The photographs above show: lowered pull-out cabinets, lowered kitchen cabinets, a large roll-in or walk-in linen closet, and a ramp up to the front door.
The photographs above show: a specialty tub with a door, a roll under sink, and a specially accessible shower stall.
This project was a large 3,000 square foot addition and remodel. Added rooms included: two accessible bedrooms, an accessible bathroom, a remodel kitchen with lowered cabinets, a sun-room, and a library. This individual's life found her transitioning from the use of a cane to that of a walker and finally to a wheelchair. This remodel allowed my client to remain in her home and avoid moving into an assisted living environment.
McKinney / Taylor Emergency Addition - West Seattle
This West Seattle project was an emergency addition for a young man who was injured in an automobile accident. He was made partially quadriplegic from the accident. He used an electric wheelchair - which takes more width and has a larger turning radius than a manual wheelchair.
Shown in the photographs above is the new accessibility entry ramp with covered roof. Double doors with lever door handles access a new entry foyer inside the addition.
This project includes: a special accessible bathroom allowing for assisted bathing, a large bedroom, an accessible covered access ramp which connects to the existing house at an entry foyer / hall. This addition allowed the young man to live at home with his family - rather than living in an assisted living environment.
In 1993 this project was entered in a national accessibility design competition sponsored by Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation. This project won First Place for "Best Access and Egress Improvement."
What was liked especially about this project was that it exemplified the concept of "Universal Design." This addition works for everyone!
The same concepts of "Universal Design" and fitting an addition in with the existing structure hold true today. Many accessibility modifications and additions are made as patches - rather than universal modifications that will work for anyone.
Fall protection
Many seniors and other individuals with special needs and mobility issues must move out of their homes every year because of injuries caused by falling down in their home. The areas and elements of a home that seem to cause the greatest risks seem to be: loose carpets, bathrooms, stairs, and changes in floor heights. Loss of vision has similar issues but in addition to those issues mentioned above - for those with diminished vision there needs to be light and dark contrast between changes of floor heights. There are a few examples below.
Making homes so that an individual with diminished physical strength can safely move around requires some planning. On-grade swinging doors with lever door handles work the best for most individuals. Loose carpets should be avoided, if there has to be one in a home it should be taped down with carpet tape. Grab bars located the appropriate grab height for the intended individual make a big difference. A transfer seat in the bathtub can prevent a fall. Sturdy stair handrails are a 'must.' Handrails should fit the hand radius of the individual using it. Circular profile or handrails with indented area for finger-grabbing are the best. Note the handrail shown above does not have finger-grab space. Handrails and grab-bars need to be very strong - they need to be secured into the framing of the house. A grab-bar or a handrail that is not securely connected to the framing presents a hazard to someone depending on it to be built strongly.