When it comes to accessible home designs, there are key elements which need to be factored in – and these go far beyond access ramps and safety rails.
In the Australian government’s Disability (Access to Premises — Buildings) Standards of 2010, one of the main objectives outlined is that ‘dignified, equitable, cost-effective and reasonably achievable access to buildings, facilities and services within buildings’ should be made available to people living with disabilities.
Here we take a look at five key inclusions for any accessible home design. Investing in these measures will help to ensure your home is wheelchair friendly – which will not only make it accessible to all guests, but can potentially increase the resale value of your property and open it up to a wider market of prospective tenants or owners.
1. Prepare a Dedicated Parking Area
Before we even get to the design of the home itself, thought must be given to the yard. This may even influence the exact positioning of your home on your block of land.
Ample space must be made for parking – preferably close to the building entrance.
If you are designing a shared disability home or apartment building, it’s important to create dedicated disabled parking bays and have these clearly marked.
2. Create an Easy-Access Path
The pathway from the parking area to the front door must be wheelchair friendly. Avoid gravel or compacted dirt and instead opt for smooth paving, tarmac or anti-slip composite decking.
It’s also important to ensure that there are no steps or sharp inclines or declines; the pathway should be relatively flat, although a gentle slope is fine. The path must be level with the front door, with no steps or ledges.
And think carefully when designing outdoor living areas. Make sure there is plenty of room around furniture, to ensure the areas are wheelchair accessible.
3. Install Automated Gates
Gates provide an additional level of security and privacy to your property, so are a popular choice for most homeowners. Security is often an even higher priority for people living with a disability, so the installation of fencing and gates is a worthwhile investment.
However, for people who require a wheelchair, or have difficulty with physical movement, manual gates are an inconvenience. Therefore, be sure to leave room in the budget for the installation of automatic driveway and pedestrian gates. And opt for opening/closing control via a remote, as opposed to a keypad pin.
4. Install Disabled Access Doors
Be sure to include wide and open entryways and install disabled access doors, to provide wheelchair users with unhindered, independent access to the building.
The clear opening of a doorway should be at least 850mm. This clear width measurement is taken between the stop of the frame and the face of the door, with the door open to a 90-degree angle.
Handles, latches and locks must bear a shape that is easy to grasp with one hand and does not require tight grasping or twisting to operate.
For additional ease and convenience, consider installing automatic doors. Access control systems are easier than the use of door handles, with doors opening automatically via either activation push buttons, or sensors which trigger the door to open when a person approaches.
5. Design for Open-Plan Living
The interior design and fit-out must be carefully planned.
In addition to the doorways, corridors and rooms must also be wide, to allow of easy wheelchair access.
Create a spacious, free-flowing floorplan, with as few doors and walls as possible. For example, combine the kitchen, dining and living rooms into one large open-plan living area. Bedrooms and bathrooms should be large with ample room to manoeuvre a wheelchair without bumping into furniture or fittings.
6. Lay Wheelchair-Friendly Flooring
Wheelchair-friendly flooring must:
- Be smooth and flat
- Provide sufficient grip, while still allowing the wheelchair to glide smoothly
- Be durable and easy to clean
Your flooring should be hard, slip-resistant and allow for a seamless transition between rooms. With constant wheelchair use, it’s easy for flooring to become scuffed and scratched, so you should opt for a solution which is robust, stain-resistant and easy to clean.
Suitable options include hardwood, laminate and vinyl.
7. Introduce Assistive Technology
Assistive technology is designed to help people with disabilities to live more independently and more easily in their own home.
Features such as lighting, air-conditioning, curtains and even televisions can be controlled via an app, voice activation, or by integrating the technology with the wheelchair itself.
8. Install a Home Lift for Double or Multi-Storey Buildings
An idea accessible home design will be single-storey, however, this is not always possible. On smaller blocks of land, or for larger developments, such as apartments, you may be required to build double-storey or multi-level.
In such a scenario, installing a home lift is the perfect solution. A lift provides fast and reliable access to every level of the building and is easy to incorporate into your design, as it does not require much space.
And there you have our top considerations for any accessible home design - whether the project is for your own family, a client, or for a residential investment fund. As always, it's important to do your due diligence to ensure you engage reputable suppliers at every stage of your project.
