More Home Modifications!
Kitchens -
Here's an accessible kitchen I designed for someone who uses a wheelchair; they can roll underneath the sink, cooktop stove, and countertop easily. The wall-mount oven (at left) is positioned so that they can quickly and easily transfer hot dishes right to the adjacent countertop.
I often include cabinet features to improve access, including pull-out shelves.
I recommended these pull-down shelves for a person with limited reach; they bring the shelf down almost 10 inches from the base of the cabinet. The wall cabinets are also lowered. These shelves are spring-loaded, so they are very easy to move up and down.
Many people who use a wheelchair in the kitchen need space under the sink, but don't like to see the plumbing exposed. A typical sink cabinet can be modified to improve access by fastening the two doors into one door that swings out of the way, as shown below. (Note that the new sink door blocks the dishwasher. I recommended installing the hinges on the opposite side, but the user preferred this arrangement.)
A "corner" sink can be used to help someone get very close to the sink; this kitchen includes a faucet with a built-in pull-out hose for easy use on either side.
The easiest way to improve access under a kitchen sink is to cut out the center "post" between the doors and glue it to one door's edge. Now the user can move their feet into the cabinet, moving closer to the sink - but the cabinet looks unaltered when the doors are shut.
Some individuals don't really want to modify the kitchen, but still need an area to do basic cooking or eating. I recommended this wall-hung countertop in an unused part of the kitchen for easy access to a microwave oven and coffeemaker.
I often recommend an electric cooktop stove for people who need to cook from their wheelchair. These thin, flat units include side and front controls so that the user does not reach over a hot burner to reach them. Also, it is easy to slide a hot pan over to a hotpad on the countertop.
A complete kitchen for a person of very small stature; the countertop is just higher than my knee (26 inches). The wall cabinets have also been lowered, as well as the microwave oven. I also recommended a low range with front-mounted controls and pull-down shelves. This person also uses a custom 3-step stool, which I designed for her, in the kitchen as well.