Having an accessible home is one of the best things you can do for the friends and family who come to visit you every now and then. This is especially so if there’s anyone with a condition like autism or mobility issues, which can affect their ability to access different spaces in your home. If you’re game, have a look at the five tips below which will make it easy for you to make your home more accessible.
Upgrade Your Bathroom
The bathroom is a space in your house that everyone will need to use at one point or another while they’re around. To make sure that no one has difficulty using the bathroom by themselves, you can take some measures to ensure that the bathroom is accessible. One thing you can do is to add risers and grab bars, which will make it possible for people with difficulty standing and sitting to use the bathroom and toilet without assistance. You can also add a floor solution that will enhance the grip, especially in wet areas like the shower. River rocks are a great solution to this as they come in different sizes, from one inch across up to several inches across.
Declutter
Another step you can take to make sure your home is accessible for friends and relatives with autism or other complications is to declutter. Collect everything in your home that’s fallen into disuse and either sell it or give it away. Doing this will leave your house free and easy to organize, creating open spaces through which people can move with minimal risk of tripping or slipping while trying to avoid an obstacle. You can rearrange your furniture and the remaining things to create an open space that’s not only easy to move through, but that also gives you great aesthetics.
Build a Ramp
For maximum ease and accessibility in your home, you should consider building a ramp if you don’t already have one. With parking lots and driveways recommended to be seal coated after every two to three years while being used normally, you can combine your next sealing project to coincide with adding a ramp. Since you will be working on the exterior of your house, it makes sense to hit two targets at the same time, and it will be easier for you as well as more convenient because you will only be disrupted once by both of these installations.
Add Handrails
Both old people and those with walking impediments will have an easy time moving around your home when you add handrails. These will enable you to move around the house more easily. Make sure you put them up in key areas like corridors, the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms because these are the spaces that will likely see the most traffic. You can get a professional to install them, an exercise that will be over in a day and that will make a big difference to your guests.
Replace the Floor
Finally, it’s good to change your floor to one that’s less prone to slipping if your budget allows it. Consider replacing carpets with hard floors, which will make it easier for people in powerchairs and wheelchairs to move around more easily. This will also see you experience less wear on the floor in places that see high foot traffic. Vinyl, hardwood flooring, and ceramic tile are all great options, and as long as you keep grout levels minimal when using ceramic tiles, you should not have tripping hazards in your home anymore. When someone experiences an accident in a state like Florida, they have four years from the date the accident occurred to file a personal injury claim, so someone slipping and hurting themselves while in your house will likely have ample time to file a claim. Don’t make this a likely scenario around your home.
With the five tips above, you can begin working on your home’s accessibility. This way, when loved ones with autism or other conditions come to visit, they will feel welcome.
