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Nancy - Polio
Bath, Kitchen, Entrance, Whole House Modification

Accessibility Solutions
Nancy was diagnosed with polio when she was four years old. She and her husband bought their current home (Fig. 1) in 1997. Shortly thereafter they started the modification process to make their home more accessible. Although she mostly walks with crutches, Nancy finds a wheelchair is more convenient to use when she gets ready in the morning.
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Entrance: The house has two entrances—one at the front door and one inside the garage—but the garage entrance is the only one they use (Fig. 2). Nancy’s husband constructed a ramp inside the garage to provide wheelchair access into the home. He also added two steps up to the platform to make an alternative exit route. Safety would be improved if they added a handrail and edge protection to keep a wheelchair or crutches from slipping off the ramp.
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Living Room: The living room has a very open floor plan (Figs. 3 & 4). Nancy and her husband removed the original bookcases that took up a lot of floor space to create a larger room. Now she can easily navigate around the furniture in her wheelchair.
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Kitchen: The kitchen was completely remodeled (Figs. 5 & 6) in 1999, shortly after the couple moved into the house. A lazy susan (Fig. 7) was installed in the lower corner cabinet so Nancy could access items easily. Corner cabinets are difficult to use efficiently, so the lazy susan maximizes storage space. They added pull-out shelves (Fig. 8) in the rest of the lower cabinets so she doesn’t need to bend down to get her supplies. When she is using crutches, Nancy can reach the second shelf of the top cupboards (Fig. 9), but she relies on her husband to reach anything on the higher shelves. They also bought a new refrigerator that has a freezer on the bottom (Fig. 10), which makes it more convenient to get food out of both the refrigerator and freezer, especially when she’s using a wheelchair (Figs. 11 & 12). The flooring was replaced with ceramic tile (Fig. 13), which Nancy prefers to laminate. The tile has a little texture on the surface, which creates added traction when she is walking. If she is using a wheelchair, tile is also easier to roll over than carpet.
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One modification she plans for the future is to take out a section of counter (orange arrow, Fig. 14) and replace it with a workspace that she can roll under. Nancy tires easily when she is using her crutches. Food preparation would be easier if she had a place she could work while seated in her wheelchair. Having different counter heights provides flexibility to choose whether to work while standing or sitting.

Bathroom: The bathroom was completely remodeled in 2005 to make it wheelchair accessible. They “borrowed” space from an adjoining room to make it larger. The old narrow door that Nancy could not get through in her wheelchair was replaced with a wider pocket door (orange arrow, Fig. 15). Nancy prefers pocket doors because she can wheel up to the door and open it with ease, without needing to move the wheelchair back and forth. A new vanity (Fig. 16) allows Nancy to wheel under the sink to be closer to the faucets. Extra counter space and storage was added on the side. The mirror extends all the way down to the counter (orange arrow, Fig. 17) providing good viewing while seated in a wheelchair. Space for the outlet was cut out of the mirror (orange circle, Fig. 17) so that it was not hidden behind the hand towel. An over-the-toilet cupboard (Fig. 18) provides additional storage.
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The combination bathtub/shower was also modified. Grab bars were added, both on the outside (orange circle, Fig. 19) and the inside (orange arrow, Fig. 19) of the shower. A second shower head was installed (orange numbers, Fig. 19 and orange circle, Fig. 20) so that Nancy can control the direction and flow of the water while bathing. The same ceramic tile that was used in the kitchen was installed in the bathroom. The textured surface prevents her from slipping when she is walking, but allows her to roll easily when she uses her wheelchair (Fig. 21).
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Office: The office became smaller when space was “borrowed” from it to enlarge the adjacent bathroom. The bathroom remodeling project left no space for the office door, so a new entrance with a wider door was created on the opposite side of the room (Fig. 22). The desk (Fig. 23) provides several open shelves (orange arrow, Fig. 24) that are within easy reach for storing supplies. Nancy prefers open shelves so she can see everything without needing to open and close drawers. The generous amount of work space on the desk top means Nancy doesn’t need to get up; she has space to put everything she needs at her fingertips. Another important addition is a foot-stool with a heating pad (Fig. 25) that Nancy keeps under the desk. Since she isn’t as tall as her husband, the stool elevates her legs to a comfortable height while sitting. The heating pad (orange arrow, Fig. 25) helps keep her feet warm, since she has poor circulation.
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Other Modifications: Other modifications that were made include rearranging their bedroom furniture (Fig. 26) to provide enough room for her wheelchair to roll next to the bed. Push-button light switches (Fig. 27) were already in the house when Nancy and her husband moved in, which she finds very convenient. They are easy for Nancy to push, whether she is using a wheelchair or crutches, and can be operated with her elbow if her hands are not free. Another addition was an electric stair lift (Fig. 28) that was installed in the stairway to the basement. Nancy does not use this very often, but it provides emergency access to the basement during severe weather, saving her husband’s back from carrying her. The lift also provides access to the laundry area in the basement. Currently Nancy’s husband takes care of the laundry, so she does not need to use the chair very often. One last modification was to remove all carpeting from the house to make it easier for Nancy to roll her wheelchair throughout her home.
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Financing the Project
Loans

Lessons Learned/Advice for Others
The lesson Nancy learned through the home modification process was to get the right contractor. She said, “Find one who is willing to work with you, will listen, and not tell you how they want to do it.” Their contractor listened to Nancy’s needs and modification desires and helped her and her husband make them a reality.

Nancy did have a couple of things that she would change in the future. The first was in the kitchen. When the couple remodeled the kitchen Nancy did not use a wheelchair, so it is not completely accessible when she wants to sit and work. She would like to create a work space that is easy to use when she sits in a regular chair or a wheelchair. Luckily she has some counter space that she could easily replace with a lowered work area. In the bathroom she would like to change the position of the grab bar that is on the outside of the shower. Currently the grab bar isn’t exactly where she needs it to be, but she did not realize this until after the project had been completed. Although she is able to use it, it could be positioned better.

The biggest challenge that Nancy and her husband encountered was how to widen the bathroom. The door to the office needed to be moved in order for that to happen, and it took time to figure out where to place it. There is also a linen closet next to the bathroom that they wanted to keep, and it was a challenge to design the best floor plan to do this.

What Difference Did It Make?
Nancy thinks the modifications have definitely been worth it. She said, “Especially the bathroom; before I couldn’t get in the room. I had to leave my wheelchair at the door and grab and hold on to things to get in. It was not safe.” Now Nancy can wheel into the bathroom, sit at the sink, and see herself in the mirror. She also has a more accessible shower that is still convenient for her husband to use as well.