DIY stands for “do it yourself.” DIY refers to taking on projects with raw materials and your own skillset – an approach known as do-it-yourself (DIY).
Enhancing the accessibility of your home can ensure that you, a loved one or future residents can live comfortably there for many years to come – this process is known as “aging in place”.
1. Install a Pull-Down Cabinet Insert
Be it for yourself or for someone in your care with disabilities, there are a number of small changes you can make to make your home more accessible. These include eliminating steps and installing a stair lift instead, creating wider doorways and hallways, adding motion-activated lighting, replacing round doorknobs with levers or push/pull bars, as well as lowering cabinet organizers.
Installing a pull-down cabinet insert ($35 at Home Depot) onto your upper hanging rod in the closet is an ideal way of keeping dresses and longer garments within easy reach without taking up floor space. Furthermore, adding rotary-type storage or lazy Susans may make cabinet contents easier to access.
2. Rearrange Your Furniture
No matter the age or condition of your Denver home, increasing accessibility is simple through rearranging furniture. Simply taking away rugs will make it easier for wheelchairs or walkers to move about freely. Installing offset hinges on doors for an upgrade that requires no renovation work is another great option, while swapping round doorknobs with level-style handles is another inexpensive DIY project to increase accessibility for those with dexterity issues such as those who experience decreased hand strength as these knobs can easily be grasped – not forgetting how readily found locally at hardware stores!
3. Install a Portable Ramp
Home accessibility for people living with a disability should involve eliminating barriers like stairs and installing ramps to make entry and travel easy and safe. While permanent ramps might make sense in certain instances, portable ones that can easily be transported between rooms might make more sense.
Remove potential trip hazards from the floor and switch out plush carpeting for harder flooring surfaces like tile, laminate or hardwood to make mobility easier for wheelchair or walker users. Even simple modifications like changing round doorknobs for lever-style handles that are easier for them to grasp can make a substantial difference for people with dexterity challenges; these simple updates don’t cost anything and won’t require major renovations either!
4. Install a Changing Table
Addition of a changing table is an affordable modification that makes your home more accessible for people with special needs, as well as showing that your business welcomes individuals with disabilities and medical conditions – which could expand customer base as the community expands. These and other accessibility modifications don’t require professional contractors and won’t alter the look of your home significantly while increasing curb appeal without detracting from curb appeal; better still, most modifications can be performed by themselves!
5. Install a Grab Bar
Safety is of utmost importance in making homes more accessible, and falls are an ever-present risk for all, from seniors and people with limited mobility, children learning to walk and even those recovering from surgery.
Installing a grab bar is one of the easiest and most affordable bathroom upgrades you can make to increase accessibility in any home. Simply use a level and stud finder to mark mounting holes on tub walls 33 to 36 inches above floor; select an accessible location that’s easy for people of all abilities to grasp it.
Other projects designed to increase accessibility include taking steps such as removing rugs, installing lever handles on doorknobs and widening hallways and doorways to make life easier for loved ones with disabilities living in your home. Falling is the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among those with limited mobility; by making these simple changes they could help avoid accidents or serious injury altogether.
