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Another aspect of kitchen design that can help or hinder wheelchair users is the placement of food and dishes. Be inventive and try putting items in different places.
Utensils and appliances should be close to the appropriate work areas, even if it means duplicating some items. Hang long barbecue tongs in various locations throughout the house to retrieve things that fall or are too high to reach.
Keep heavy pots, pans, dishes and mixing bowls on bottom shelves, along with canned foods. Pull-out shelves are easy to install and can provide more bottom shelf space. They can be taken with you if you move. Top shelves can hold boxes, glasses and small items, as well as items not used on a regular basis. If the top shelf is made of clear plastic, a person in a wheelchair can see the contents.
Install shelves in a broom closet to convert it into a pantry. Pegboard, attached to the wall and equipped with hooks, is an excellent way to store pots, pans and utensils or anything else used often. An extension gripper permits a seated person to use high shelves that would otherwise be out of reach. Unbreakable, plastic containers and stainless steel bowls also are helpful.
A rolling cart or cutting-block table with wheels can take food, dishes and small appliances to and from the table (particularly if the table is in another room) or used for a work center. A lazy-susan on a shelf in the refrigerator makes it easier to retrieve food from the back. To help see food that is cooking, attach a removable mirror at an angle to the wall behind the cooktop. It is easier to see cooking food from a wheelchair if clear glass cookware is used.
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