Wishlist for New House: Wheelchair user

E

etna

Guest
Hi guys,

Just after learning loads from a post from (wish list for new house), my query is also searching for ideas for my new house- the difference is that it is likely that I'll be a full time wheelchair user by the time I'm going to be living in the house (long story but in short-38yr old female with MS and at present an occasional wheelchair user)

I hope, with my architect, I've thought of everything but as the building is just starting it's still not to late to include something important!

Any ideas greatly appreciated.
E.
 
Ramps and wider doors will be a must for you no steps whatever anywhere;
lower worktops be an advantage also if you are confined to a wheelchair
 
There are many useful appliances and aids which can be incorporated into a house; these can be a boon to all users and are not necessarily limited to people with special needs or limited mobility. Hafele (amongst others) market special accessories and kits for kitchens which improve storage and accessibility to cupboards etc. Small modifications to your kitchen design can improve its functionality; I'm thinking about things like lever taps ( as found in hospitals), allowing for a wheelchair to sit in under a kitchen sink, planning unit sizes and heights around accessibility, location and provision of sockets, task lighting etc. Door handles, ironmongery, switches and basically anything that requires a manual action should be easy to use (e.g. door knobs, whilst looking good do not function well in this regard, especially for people with arthritis or poor muscle tone). The obvious things like door opening widths, corridor planning and accessible bathrooms are of course vital and these are addressed quite well in Part M of the Building Regulations. New fire regs out this year dictate that a 950mm door will be the norm (overall dimension including frame) so this should be incorporated into drawings now. With regard to plumbing and services I'd suggest that things like main water stop cock should be located and of a type suitable for easy operation- this is important in an emergency. Likewise I think that taps should ideally be fitted with thermostatic balancing vlaves to prevent scalding. Level entry bath or shower rooms are a must or better still a "wet room". Durable and low maintenance finishes are a must. Hope this gives you some ideas.
 
Hi Etna
A good friend of mine has MS and she built her house a couple of years back. She built a garage apartment ... in case there was a need for full time care in the future, that the carer could live there but still be close at hand. When building the garage she made half of it into an apartment and put basic living stuff in the apartment ... like a small bathroom, kitchenette etc.

Hope this is of some use to you. Have you been in touch with the MS society ... perhaps some of their members could point you in the right direction in terms of practicalitie
HP
 
this was on "about this house" last night. The one thing i got from it was a spacious bathroom with door opening outwards as to have an inwards opening door in a small room reduced space for the wheelchair to move about inside.
 
Our house garage was converted to a bedroom as a family member, my mother, had MS too. There was a grant available from the County Coucil\Corporation for the work done, about 75% of cost.
There was a large series of ramps added, new bathroom fitted, double doors for increased width, lower light switches.
Good luck with it.
 
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