Home Modifications

Just what does it take to make a living space accessible? Are you thinking about a child who will grow up in a house or a parent who is just beginning to use a wheelchair in their home? Maybe you as a wheelchair user would like to make everyday life in your home easier and more enjoyable. Regardless, you will find some helpful resources here.

We'd like to gather stories from those of you who have stories to tell about how you modified your living space. If you'd like to tell your story let us know.

• Information Resources for Adaptive Design
• Funding and Low Income Resources
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Doors and Ramps
• Decks and Gardens
• Articles on Home Modification
• Link to WheelchairNet's Product Categories for:
  • Ramps, Elevators, Lifts, Stair Glides, Door Openers, and Gates
  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Home Modification Design Services
  • Home Modification Products
• Link to the Home Modification Discussion

Information Resources for Adaptive Design

• Accessibility and Modifications to Living Space - from RehabNET.
• Accessible Landscape - design accessible landscapes and access improvements for wide range of people.
• eHow - How to Make Simple Wheelchair Accessibility Modifications to Your Home written by Gary Presley. eHow is a website on how to do about anything. It requires free login; search on "wheelchair accessibility".
• Another eHow topic: How to Encourage Property Owners to Increase Wheelchair Accessibility by Gary Presley; requires free login; search on "wheelchair accessibilty".
• Adaptive Environments - a resource for Universal Design Education.
• Ageless Designs - smarter, safer living for seniors with dementia.
• Concrete Change - universal access to homes. This project promotes the idea of making every home a "visitable home."
• Falcon Homes, Inc. - alternative home design building plans create comfort and accessibility for the entire family.
• Home Modification Action Project - from the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification located at the Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California. Check their national database of home modification resources and home modification products.
• The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University.
  • Scroll dow to Housing and Built Environments
• The DesignLinc - accessiblity design resources.
• The Do-Able Renewable Home - American Association of Retired Persons.
• The IDEA Center - Inclusive Design and Environmental Access. This is the home of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design at University at Buffalo.
• The Wheelchair Accessible Home Clearinghouse
• HUD - guidelines, accessible housing designs, and model building for people with disabilities.
• Universal Design - website by Kansas State University .

Funding and Low Income Resources

• Accessible PA - funding opportunities in Pennsylvania.
• Funding Resources - first click on "library" and then click on "funding"
• National Low-Income Housing Coalition - Disability Housing.
• US Department of Housing and Urban Devlopment (HUD)- guidelines, accessible housing designs, and model building for people with disabilities.
• 203(k) Home Rehabilitation Mortgages

Kitchens

• Cooking from a wheelchair
• Falcon Homes, Inc. - alternative home design building plans create comfort and accessibility for the entire family. This page has display of current home designs.
• Kitchen accessibility - suggestions from Magee Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Click on "Health Information & Education."
• Kitchen design tips from DesignLinc - click on design tips.
• Kitchen Gadgets - from Iowa State.
• Link to WheelchairNet's listing of Products for Activities of Daily Living

Bathrooms

• Around The House - Accessible Bathroom - from the February 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Bathroom design tips from DesignLinc - click on design tips.
• Falcon Homes, Inc. - alternative home design building plans create comfort and accessibility for the entire family. This page has display of current home designs.
• Link to WheelchairNet's listing of Products for Activities of Daily Living.

Doors and Ramps

• Around the House: Information on Automatic Doors, Windows, and Lights- October 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Creating zero-step entrances - from Concrete Change.
• Construction guidelines for "visitable" homes - from Concrete Change.
• Minnesota Ramp Project - this site contains plans and videos on how to design & build ramps and low rise steps for homes.
• Mobility & Ramp; More: Just a small step - a guide to portable ramps, January 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Wheelchair Ramps - from NE Rehabilitation Health Network.

Decks and Gardens

• Around the House: Accessible gardening - June 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Accessible Gardening for People with Disablities: A Guide to Methods, Tools and Plants - a book by Janeen Adil.
• Adaptive Gardening - from Virginia Cooperative Extension in Blacksburg.
• Adaptive Gardening Resources - a list of resources from University of Missouri.
• Adaptive Gardening Tools - gardening tips for people with arthritis, a decline in vision, or reduced balance and strength.
• Accessible Gardening from North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Harnett County.
• Gardening & Arthritis - information site by Arthritis Foundation.
• Beehive - wheelchair friendly garden by Phil & Carole Johnson.
• BUPA - gardening tips for people with mobility difficulties.
• Enabled Gardening Centre - find helpful ways and tools to assist with gardening.
• Gardening ability - gardening as a therapeutic medium for all people.
• Garden accessibility - suggestions from Magee Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Click on "Health Information & Education."
• Links to adaptive gardening products listed on WheelchairNet.
• Master Garden Products - gardening practices.
• National Gardening Association - information on accessible gardening for people with physical disabilities.
• Oregon State University - gardening publications.
• Resources for Garden Tools - resources for garden tools for easier gardening.

Articles on Home Modification

• Accessibility: How Do You Measure (and Achieve) It? - August 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Around the House: Colonial Revival - from December 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Enabling home environments: Identifying barriers to independence - Edward Steinfeld, Arch D., Professor of Architecture and Scott Shea, BPS.
• Home wasn't built in a day - August 1998, Paraplegia News.
• Home modifications for persons with disabilities - May 1998, U. of Washington, SCI Forum.
• Strategies for home modification and repair - first click on "safety checklist and assessment instrument" and then click on "strategies for home modification and repair"

Last Updated: 3-2-2006