FUNCTIONAL INTERIORS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS 4(2+2)

Lesson 32 : Adaptations to Existing Interiors

Entrances, Exits and Doorways

Getting in and out of the front door is the first and most important consideration but getting through all doors, interior and exterior, plus the bathroom door is also essential. Here are some guidelines:

1. A doorway must be at least 36 inches wide to accommodate a wheelchair, allowing room for arms and maneuvering.
2. Several things can make a doorway wider without removing the doorframe: Start by replacing regular hinges with Swing Clear hinges to add another 1 ½ - 2 inches to the doorway. Doorstops can be removed, as well as thick thresholds that are difficult to roll over.
3. In some places, it may be necessary to remove the door altogether, including its hinges. Typically bathroom doors are the narrowest; a curtain or decorative screen will provide privacy, as well as access to the room.
4. Locks on doors can be lowered for a person in a wheelchair to comfortably reach it.
5. If manual dexterity is a problem, a lever is much easier to use than a regular doorknob.
6. Install an electromagnetic automatic door opener. Automatic door openers can be used with all door types, including sliding or swinging doors and they do lock.
7. Avoid thick doormats, like the contemporary bristly-style mats. Children trip over them and they're hazardous to persons with walking difficulties, and persons with visual impairments. They're particularly difficult for a wheelchair to roll over. A thin, rubber mat is safer and still traps some dirt and moisture. Once inside, thinner carpeting (even indoor/outdoor carpeting), tiles, or linoleum is easiest for wheelchair maneuverability.
8. A view panel installed in the door (away from the lock) provides a couple of safety features: it allows a person with a hearing loss to visually identify visitors, and from the outside, warns approaching persons to slow down when they see a seated person just inside the door.

Once the doorway to the bathroom is made wide enough to allow a wheelchair to pass through, he or she needs to be able to move around freely. This is achieved by either removing the door and replacing it with a curtain, or by replacing the hinges of the door with Swing-clear hinges

• It may be necessary to reposition an existing sink or remove the bathtub in favor of a roll-in/walk-in shower.
• The vanity for the sink can be replaced with a smaller one and the door of the vanity can be removed to provide knee space for a seated person. The hot water pipe must be covered with insulating material or moved back out of the way to protect legs from scalding.
• Vanities can be raised for someone having difficulty bending over or lowered to accommodate a seated person. If you have several people living in your home, decide on a compromised height.
• Water Closet height is also important: if the WC is too low, it's difficult for many people to lower themselves down to it or to get back up. Water Closet that are too high are difficult to reach. This can be remedied with portable WC seats. Many different styles and types are available, as well as safety straps and other aids.
• Grab bars should be screwed directly into wall studs on either side of the WC and in the bathing area. Grab bars should support a maximum of 250 pounds. If the person weighs over 200 pounds, the wall studs must be further reinforced. Grab bars help a person transfer on and off the toilet and negotiate the bathing area. Sheltering arm grab bars provide additional balance and thus may be more appropriate. Sheltering arm grab bars are firmly secured to the WC to surround both sides of the WC and have legs that reach the floor.
• Make sure to place anti-slip rubber decals on the bathtub or shower floor to prevent slips and falls. Small bathroom rugs are dangerous and should be avoided completely.
• A hand-held shower will bring the water down to a comfortable level. It's also possible to install a stand or adjustable pole to free up the bather's hands.
• Shower chairs or benches come in many styles for the bather who needs to remain seated, transfers out of a wheelchair, or has poor balance. Bathtub lifts are also available through catalogs, the Internet, and medical supply stores, however most of them require another person to assist.
• Last of all, single-lever faucets are easiest to use for weak hands or hands with decreased sensitivity. When skin has decreased sensitivity, an anti-scald device should also be installed in both the bathtub/shower and bathroom sink.