|  | Public Health Safety | Community

Adaptations for the Physically Disabled

Able-bodied people often take the fact that they can perform most tasks by themselves for granted. They rarely stop and think about what life would be like if they were unable to walk under their own power or hear without the assistance of a hearing aid. This is the reality of many physically disabled people, but fortunately modern technology had provided them with different adaptations in their homes and workplaces to make their lives easier.

  1. Stair Lifts

    • Many people with disabilities who live in multi-storied homes make use of stair lifts. A stair lift is a type of lifting device used to carry a person up and down a staircase. There are a few different kinds of lifts available, but most require the installation of a track system directly into the staircase. The lift itself is usually in the form of a chair that moves up and down the track. Most stair lifts are used in residential homes, but they are also commonly used in public buildings such as churches, hospitals and schools.

    Adjustable Beds

    • One common, useful device for those who are physically disabled is the adjustable bed. These beds are not unlike those found in hospitals and nursing homes, and they can be adjusted to any height to make getting in and out of bed easier. Although the earliest adjustable beds had to be adjusted manually, more modern beds can be adjusted electronically at the push of a button. This is ideal for someone who may not be physically capable of adjusting the height of a bed by herself. Many of these beds also come with easy-to-grip side rails to prevent falls.

    Wheelchair Ramps

    • Wheelchair ramps are among the most basic yet most effective adaptations for people with physical disabilities. They replace stairs either in the home or on the outside of a building to provide easy access and maneuverability to anyone in a wheelchair. Ramps are required anytime there is a change in elevation over a surface in which a wheelchair may maneuver. A ramp should never exceed 30 feet without any landings and it should never rise above 30 inches. While many ramps are just large enough to allow access into a building, many others are long and wide enough for others to walk on. These ramps require handrails to prevent falls.

    Adaptations in Bathrooms

    • Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, bathrooms were seldom constructed with the handicapped in mind; they often had doors that were too narrow for a wheelchair to easily fit through and no grab bars around the toilet. Bathrooms are often the first rooms to be adapted for a physically disabled person, with the installation of grab bars around the toilet and bathtub. These grab bars are usually between 1 ¼ and 1 ½ inches in diameter, ½ inch away from the wall and sturdy enough to withstand 250 pounds of pressure. Bath mats are also commonly used in bathrooms in conjunction with handrails to further prevent falls.

Community - Related Articles