Life can bring about a lot changes and there might be unfortunate ones too. God forbid, but if any of your family members or you get physically challenged or are already so. Working in a regular kitchen could be troublesome, read on to know how you modify your kitchen for the physically challenged.
Keep the gadgets and the appliances in range
If the challenged person is unable to move out of the wheelchair and has to work in the kitchen while sitting on it, all the gadgets that the person intends to use, should be in his reach. It is not possible to work in the kitchen without the aid of the gadgets or appliances. Most importantly, the cooking stove should be at a convenient height for the person. If the person will have to do the dishes as well, the sink should in reach too.
Space for mobility
Although the modern electric wheel chairs occupy less space than the earlier or regular wheel chairs, there should be enough space in the kitchen for their free movement. Like we talked about the appliances and gadgets should be in range of the person, similarly the grocery and the eatables should be placed conveniently. The kitchen should have enough space for the wheel chair to turn around. The doors should be of appropriate size and open with minimum effort.
Position of the electric switches
If the appliances are in reach of the physically challenged person and the electric switches aren’t, what’s the point? The light switch and the sockets should be located in the reach of the person. For this, you may have to get the kitchen remodeled and take the services of an expert. An experienced kitchen-remodeling contractor will be able to custom design the kitchen as per your needs.
Flooring
For maneuvering in the kitchen, it is important for the flooring to be appropriate. The flooring should not slip or cause hindrance. On some types of flooring the rubber marks of the wheelchair will be imprinted, avoid using such floorings. The floor of the kitchen should not cause the chair to spin. Even if the floor gets wet, it should not be dangerous for the physically challenged person.
Making the kitchen accessible for the physically challenged may not be easy, but taking professional help will make the job easier and appropriately done.
