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Easy Ways to Increase Accessibility

Thu 12 Feb 2009 - 15:18

Easy Ways to Increase Accessibility
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Julie_Collins]Julie Collins

The benefits of creating a universally designed home are many. Children; women who are pregnant; individuals who use wheelchairs or canes; and anyone who might have arthritis, limited vision or hearing, or temporary injuries such as broken bones can easily visit or live in a home that has been universally designed.

To make your home truly accessible to everyone, you might widen doorways and hallways, lower countertop heights, and tear out all of the carpet in your rooms. But creating a warm, welcoming home that's designed to accommodate anyone who lives there or visits doesn't have to involve gutting your house or starting from scratch.

Consider these easy, relatively inexpensive ways of improving accessibility-most of which enhance the appearance of your home in the process.

Get rid of unnecessary rugs - they can be tripping hazards.

Rearrange furniture in your living spaces so it is easy to move around and through furniture groupings. While you're at it, de-clutter your rooms so unnecessary "junk" doesn't get in anyone's way.

Use contrasting colors to distinguish doorways from walls and furnishings from floorings. If you're thinking about repainting, consider making trimwork pop by painting the walls a dark hue and the trimwork white. If it's time for new furnishings, opt for colorful hues that contrast with light-colored flooring or vice versa.

Enhance the lighting (and therefore the visibility) in each room by using a variety of lighting styles - including overhead lights and task lighting such as lamps. And don't forget the necessity of safely lighting challenging areas such as closets and entryways too.

Install paddle switches in place of traditional light switches - they're easier to turn on and off. Or, better yet, install motion-sensor light switches so you don't have to do a thing to turn on the lights when you enter a room or turn them off when you leave.

Replace doorknobs with lever handles, which are easier to open.

Install pulls in place of small knobs, which can be difficult to grasp, on cabinet doors and drawers with pulls.

Swap out double-handle faucets in kitchens and baths with single-handle models that can be turned on or off even if your hands are messy or if you have limited hand strength.

Find space for a rolling cart, moveable island, or even a basic table that's lower or higher than your kitchen countertops to accommodate height differences in your family. If there's room, include a stool for sitting when you're tackling cookie decorating or other time-consuming tasks.

Place towel hooks or bars in the bathroom so they're easy to reach from the sink and in the shower.

Turn down the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit - it prevents the risk of scalding from too-hot water (and saves energy too!).

Install small, low-voltage lights along the walkway leading to your front door so guests know where to step. [http://www.lexiconconsultinginc.com]Lexicon Consulting, Inc [http://www.thehomeknowitall.com/the_home_knowitall/2009/02/easy-ways-to-increase-accessibility.html]The Home Know-It-All : Your One-Stop Shop for Home Design, Improvement, and Repair

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Collins http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Ways-to-Increase-Accessibility&id=1979619


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