Accessibility Solutions
Carolyn and George are an octogenarian couple who built a new ranch-style house (Fig. 1) in 1990 in order to age-in-place. When they were in their 60s, they moved from a suburb of Chicago to Iowa in order to be closer to their family. They designed their house with wide doorways and hallways and an accessible bathroom on the main level. As the couple has aged they have made additional modifications to make their home more convenient and accessible. Their good planning meant that Carolyn had no problems moving around the house in a wheelchair after knee replacement surgeries in 2003 and 2004. George was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2005 so the couple is now considering what additional home modifications they may need to make in the future.


Entry: The couple installed a grab bar by the entry (blue circle, Fig. 2) that leads from the garage to the house. A non-slip strip (blue arrow, Fig. 2) was also placed on the step. These simple changes help them maintain their balance when climbing the steps into the house and also make the entrance convenient for guests.


Bathrooms: The ranch-style home provides everything they need on one level. There are two bathrooms on opposite ends of the house: one that Carolyn uses and one that George uses.

George’s bathroom (Figs. 3-6) is near the garage entrance, laundry room, porch, and kitchen. It has a wide doorway (Fig. 3) that would be accessible if he were using a walker, but the bathroom itself does not have enough floor space to turn a wheelchair. His bathroom contains a small shower, but the step (blue arrow, Fig. 4) is a potential tripping hazard getting into it. George plans to replace the existing shower with a curbless shower that has a fold-down seat. The extra space will come from removing the linen closet (Fig. 4). The toilet in George’s bathroom has been replaced with one that is higher and more comfortable for him to use (Fig. 5). The vanity has a single knob faucet (blue circle, Fig. 6) and the medicine cabinet has push-to-open latches (blue arrow, Fig. 6) to open each section of the mirror. When needed, George can use a finger, fist, or elbow to open these latches.

Carolyn’s bathroom (Figs. 7-10) is close to all three bedrooms, and also near the living room and the family room. It has a wide doorway (Fig. 7) that is wheelchair accessible. Instead of a shower, Carolyn’s bathroom has a combination bathtub/shower (blue arrow, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9) so she can sit to soak if needed, but also stand to take a shower. The shower door has three connected panels that slide on a track accordion style. Because all three of the door sections slide in the same direction—instead of two shower doors that slide in opposite directions—the wider opening provides easier access. One of the door panels has reflective material on the outside so it can be used as a full-length mirror (blue arrow, Fig. 9). Carolyn also had the toilet in her bathroom replaced with a higher one (Fig. 9) that puts less stress on her knees when she gets up and down. Carolyn’s bathroom has adequate space (five-foot turning circle) to maneuver a wheelchair (blue circle, Fig. 9). Carolyn has a single lever faucet (blue circle, Fig. 10) for her lavatory. She can also open her medicine cabinet by pushing the touch-to-open latches on the corners of the mirror.

Kitchen: Carolyn and George modified their kitchen by extending the counter (red arrow, Fig. 11) to create a small eating space. The high stools work now but could create a risk in the future if they have balance problems or are unsteady on their feet. The corners of the counter were rounded to prevent bumping into sharp edges. The cabinets underneath the counter can also be accessed from either side. The pocket door (red arrow, Fig. 12) that leads from the kitchen to the family room takes up less space than a hinged door, and makes a clear path for wheelchair users. A side-by-side refrigerator was added (Figs. 11 & 13), providing easier access to the water and ice (red circle, Fig. 13) without opening the door. A lazy susan (Fig. 14) was installed in the lower corner cabinet so items are easier to reach. The lazy susan maximizes storage space since corner cabinets are difficult to use efficiently. The control knobs for the range are located in front (red circle, Fig. 15), eliminating the need to reach across the burners to turn the range on or off. This greatly reduces the risk of burns. Another consideration when designing the kitchen was to include a section of cupboards that could be removed if they wanted to install a dishwasher later (red circle, Fig. 16).

Doorways and Hallways: All of the doors in the house are wide enough for wheelchair use. Carolyn and George used open doorways (Fig. 17) as much as possible so they wouldn’t need to worry about opening and closing doors if they were using a wheelchair. The open space between the kitchen, dining room, and living room (Fig. 18) makes it easy to navigate around the furniture if they needed to use a wheelchair or walker. The hallway (Fig. 19) that leads to Carolyn’s bathroom and the three bedrooms is wide enough for a wheelchair as well. Hard wood flooring, instead of carpeting, is used immediately inside the front door, which creates space for a wheelchair to dry off (red circle, Fig. 20) and avoids tracking water or mud into the house.
 

Laundry: Carolyn and George planned ahead to have the laundry area (Fig. 21) on the main floor. This eliminates to need to carry a laundry basket up and down steps. The room is also spacious and well lighted.


Windows: All of the windows in the house have been replaced in the last couple of years. The old double hung windows on the porch were hard for Carolyn and George to open, as well as clean on the outside. The new windows (Figs. 22 & 23) open like a sliding glass door, and require less strength to operate. They also provide plenty of natural light.


Although the rest of the replacement windows in the house are still double-hung windows, they have U-shaped handles (red circle, Fig. 24) which are easier for Carolyn and George to operate. Previously the couple would stand on ladders outside and clean the windows. These new double hung windows pivot open and can conveniently be cleaned on both sides from the inside of the house. Cordless shades at all of the windows (red arrows, Fig. 25) are very easy to manipulate.


Closet: Providing plenty of storage was another consideration that Carolyn and George made when designing their house. They installed shelves in the ends of the closet (Fig. 26) in one of the extra bedrooms. The shelves are easy to reach when seated in a wheelchair, whereas the rod and top shelf of a traditional closet are not.


Financing the Project
Personal Funds 

Lessons Learned/Advice for Others
The biggest challenges the couple faced were deciding exactly what they wanted and finding the perfect builder. George said, “You can build a house that is exactly what you want until you move in. Then you realize there are things that you should have included but didn’t think about.” The builder that Carolyn and George found was very knowledgeable and offered valuable suggestions, such as installing a section of cabinets that could be easily removed to accommodate a dishwasher later. The combination of their meticulous planning and finding an
experienced builder made the difference in a house that will allow them to age-in-place.

Because of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, George plans to make changes to his bathroom. They want to install a curbless shower and would like to replace the hinged door with a pocket door.

The advice that Carolyn and George would give to others would be, “Think and plan long before you start, especially for things like the doors in your house. Also, check around and be frugal – you never know what you will need. One last thing would be, if you have a basement, make sure you can function without it, if necessary.”

What Difference Did It Make?
Carolyn and George said they have been happy with all of the changes they have made. When asked about specifics, they said, “The changes to the porch have made it more enjoyable and easier to open the windows. Also, we can eat at the counter in the kitchen which is very convenient, and it is easier to use the new appliances.” The couple also mentioned the ease with which they were able to move around the house when Carolyn was in a wheelchair after having knee replacement surgery on both knees—which made all of their planning worth it.