Exterior Accessibility Tips
It can be a troubling experience for a disabled person to move from the home to the outdoors if consideration is not given to the design of exterior featires of the home.
A few tips to make the exterior of your home a bit more accessible are as follows:
Put a shelf or bench next to each exterior door.
This can be very helpful when moving things in or out of the house as it will provide a place to rest items while allowing for free hands to open the door.
If you have problems with vision make sure to add sufficient lighting to all areas of the home especially stairways, ramps, and outdoor pathways.
Make sure to create grippy surfaces to prevent slipping.
For landing areas (like a deck or porch) allow for a 5 foot radius as this will provide a comfortable amount of room for most wheelchair users to navigate their way in and out of doors.
To allow for easy access in and out of vehicles driveways and parking areas should be designed wider than normal to accomodate both a vehicle and wheelchair access.
Provide well designed ramps with an easy slope (1:12 max or 1:18 for easier maneuverability) at entrances to the home and other strategic locations
(ie: from sidewalks to driveway, or in any other area where there might normally be steps).
While there are many more things to do to the exterior of a home and many more considerations the above tipscan get you on your way to making life easier for those needing wheelchair access.
