There are roughly 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK with two-thirds of these being regular users, but many of these wheelchair users struggle to get around their own home. The home is somewhere that you should always easily be able to navigate and feel relaxed and safe in, but this is hard for a wheelchair user when it can be challenging to get around. So, how can you make a home more wheelchair friendly? Read on for a few ideas.

Installation of Ramps

The installation of ramps outside and inside the home can make life much easier for a wheelchair user. Stairs and changes in surface height are problematic for wheelchair users but this can be avoided by installing ramps which will make it much easier and safer for people to navigate their homes.

Automatic Doors

Doors can also be a challenge for wheelchair users but is a feature sometimes overlooked. Reaching to open a door can be challenging as well as unsafe whereas an automatic door will make it both easy and safe for a wheelchair user to get around their home without the worry about falling from their chair. In terms of security, doors can be installed with a lock controlled by a remote control or possibly even a smartphone.

Wider Doorways

Following this, you will also find that making wider doorways can also make a big difference, especially in smaller homes. It can be frustrating when it is difficult to get from room-to-room but made much easier simply by widening the doorways.

Walk-In Shower

The bathroom is an area that can be difficult to navigate for a wheelchair user. A walk-in shower complete with a fitted chair will make the bathing experience much easier, safe and more enjoyable for a wheelchair user and allow them to carry out basic personal care.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

It is also important to think beyond the home and ways in which you can make life easier for a wheelchair user. Transport can be another major issue with public transport not being the best option as well as being unreliable and expensive. A wheelchair accessible vehicle from somewhere like Allied Mobility can be a life-changing investment that will take all of the stress and hassle out of travel and allow you to easily and safely get from A to B. 

These are a few of the best ways that you can make a home more wheelchair-friendly and improve the life of a wheelchair user. It can be hard to navigate the home without adaptations and the home needs to be somewhere that people can feel relaxed and safe which is why it is important to make changes to the home.