Few kitchens are designed with wheelchair users in mind. Oven doors open vertically, limiting access to them. Cupboard door handles stick out into the room, making navigation difficult. Worst of all, most surfaces and appliances are manufactured to accommodate adults of average height standing up. If you or a family member are confined to a wheelchair and also keen cooks, this can be a frustrating state of affairs.
Fortunately, adapting your kitchen to be more accessible for wheelchairs is not as difficult a project as you might think. It rarely requires a full refurbishment but, rather, a few simple adjustments. Here are some of the things you can do.
Side/Slide opening oven doors
Does your oven door open on a vertical hinge from top to bottom? If so, then it is extremely difficult to operate for a wheelchair user. The further it comes down, the further you have to be away from the oven. By exchanging it for a side-opening or sliding door model, you make it much more accessible.
Mid-mounted cabinets
Cabinets mounted above your kitchen units are difficult to reach from a wheelchair. Likewise, floor-mounted cabinets can be a hassle too, as it’s hard to reach down to objects on the lowest shelves. The simple solution – forgo the work surface and mount your cabinet halfway up the wall. Not only can you access the cabinet itself, the empty space beneath offers more room for turning.
The ClicBox range also offers a variety of free-standing and wall mounted units that are ideal for arranging your storage as needed.
Handle less kitchen doors
A simple way to make navigating your kitchen easier for a wheelchair user is to invest in some replacement kitchen cupboard doors. Choose handleless cupboard doors and you’ll be surprised how much space it adds to a kitchen. With less chance of snagging on a wheelchair, this simple solution offers much more access.
Lowered work surfaces
The best way to adapt a kitchen for a wheelchair user is to lower some of the work units to a height they can reach in comfort. While this is easier than it looks to achieve, you may require the assistance of a professional kitchen fitter. Lowering the height of the surface allows all the main culinary tasks to be performed even from a wheelchair. You can even lower the height of the sink and drainer.
However you choose to customise your kitchen to make it wheelchair accessible, Hot Doors can help you out. All of our replacement kitchen cupboard doors can be made-to-measure, ensuring a perfect fit for kitchen units that are lower than standard. We also stock an extensive range of handle less kitchen doors and drawer fronts that don’t stick out so much, making them less of an obstacle for wheelchair users.
For any assistance in choosing the right replacement kitchen cupboard doors for your wheelchair accessible kitchen, give Hot Doors a call today. A member of our team will be happy to talk you through the various options available.