Checklist for Making Your Home Wheelchair Accessible

The ADA is the most comprehensive federal civil rights statute protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

While ADA guidelines do not extend to private, residential homes, these guidelines are still helpful and good to keep in mind – especially when you are trying to make your home wheelchair accessible.

Below, we’ve put together a brief checklist, based on ADA guidelines. For additional information on making your home more wheelchair accessible, we encourage you to contact our mobility specialists.

KITCHEN

• Doorway width of at least 32″
• Counters no more than 34″ in height, or a pull out board of that height
• Lever hardware and faucet controls
• Refrigerator/freezer of side-by-side style
• Range controls in front or side

BATHROOMS

• Sink should have at least 29″ of clearance under the front edge to allow wheelchair user to pull under the sink and use the faucet.
• Toilet seat should be between 17″ and 19″ inches above the floor.
• Should be enough room for a wheelchair user to turn around (either in a 60″ diameter circle or in a T-shaped turn).

HALLWAYS/DOORS

• Is the doorway leading to accessible spaces at least 32″ wide?
• Be sure hallways are free of steps or abrupt vertical changes over 1/4″.
• Be sure that at least one door to each accessible space has door hardware (levers, pulls, panic bars, etc.) usable with one hand.

BEDROOMS

• Allow at least a 36″-wide route on each side of the bed and at the foot of the bed to allow people who use wheelchairs to transfer onto the bed from either side.
• Make sure all bedroom doors have security latches or bolts mounted no higher than 48″ above the floor so it is within the reach of people who use wheelchairs.

DID YOU KNOW?

• According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the average adult wheelchair, can be up to 50 inches long and up to 32 inches wide.
• There are different types of wheelchairs for different uses. Wheelchairs made for sport have a slightly lower seat and are wider than the average wheelchair.
• The adult wheelchair requires 60 inches of space to make a 360-degree turn.