David B. Lafever, BS/EET

Rehabilitation Engineer
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Home Modifications
 
I recommend home remodeling to improve access, especially for individuals with limited mobility.  I evaluate the home, identify the obstacles present, and design modifications to reduce or eliminate the barriers.  I also obtain estimates, supervise construction, and perform a final inspection to make sure the consumer can use the modifications as planned.
 
Home modifications I have designed include:
 
Accessible Entrances
  
 
 
 
 
 
I designed these extra-low rise steps for a person who uses a walker; each step is large enough to support all four legs of the walker.
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
I recommended this solid rubber ramp for a person who uses a scooter
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
Short ramp from a back porch to a sidewalk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long ramp from a front door to the sidewalk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
I design wheelchair ramps with the standard 1:12 slope
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
A long wheelchair ramp at the rear of an older home for a person who uses a manual wheelchair.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
New landing, steps, and porch lift
(This landing is extra-large to avoid a cistern underground and to keep from blocking another exit from the home.)
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Some individuals cannot open a door independently; in these cases, I recommend an electric door opener with wall switches and remote controls.  This unit even has a battery-backup built in.
 
 
 
  
 
 
Access Improvements Inside
 
 
 
 
I often recommend installation of offset hinges, which can widen a door opening about 1.5 inches.  This simple modification works well for many wheelchair users when a door is just slightly tight.
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
When a door must be widened, I recommend installing a custom wood threshold to minimize the transition between two floor coverings.
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
I recommend installing pocket doors where space is extremely limited; these doors slide into a wall, which maximizes available floorspace.
 
 
 
  
 
  
Bathrooms
  
 
I often recommend extra-tall toilets to more closely match the height of the user's wheelchair seat; this eases transfers considerably.
 
Also, I recommend these fold-up grab bars when support is needed by the user.  They are height-adjustable and can be mounted to the floor in any location.  When I add a roll-in shower, which is level with the bathroom floor, additional floorspace is available for transferring to a toilet.
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I create new floorplan sketches for many of my home modifications
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
I often recommend installation of grab bars; I specify the use of special wall anchors that allow installation of a grab bar almost anywhere without additional wood in the wall
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I often design roll-in showers for people; this arrangement allows them to use a shower bench or shower wheelchair.  I also include solid wood walls behind the tile to allow installation of grab bars at any location if desired.  My shower designs also include large corner shelves, handheld showerheads, waterproof ceiling lights, and a collapsible rubber strip along the edge of the shower to retain water.
 
  
 
 
 
 
Another roll-in shower I designed; this shower includes a standard-height showerhead as well as a showerhead on a hose.  A wall-mount control switches the water between the upper and lower showerheads.
 

 

 

This person prefers to sit sideways in their accessible shower; it is much easier for them to transfer in and out this way.

  

  

 

Some bathrooms are extremely small; a corner shower can work well in this situation.  An L-shaped shower curtain rod is necessary, along with two shower curtains, to make this practical.

  

  

 

 

For people who are ambulatory, shower floors can be slippery, even when installing the most non-slip ceramic tile available.  Therefore, I recommend an additional heavy-duty non-slip matting to cover the shower floor.  This removable matting is made up of an anti-bacterial plastic and can be removed for cleaning at any time.  Also, it can be more permanently secured to make sure it does not shift.

  

  

 

  

This extra-large shower has the water control and handheld shower on the long wall, not an end wall, for easier access by the user.  Note the two ceiling lights in the shower; I always include at least one waterproof ceiling light in showers.

  

  

 

  

I always recommend a collapsible rubber water retainer along the outer edge of a roll-in shower (the gray strip).  This strip keeps the water inside, but completely collapses if stepped on or rolled over by a shower wheelchair, so there is no barrier or trip hazard.

  

  

 

  

I selected this very, very low toilet for a very, very short user.  (And no, I'm not a giant; I only wear a size 10 shoe.)

  

  

 

  

Some ambulatory individuals can benefit from a toilet seat lift, which helps them get up and down from the toilet.  Note that the armrests move up with the toilet seat for support.

  

  

 

  

To maximize access, I recommended a folding shower seat for this very small bathroom; I placed the handheld shower support on the side wall of the shower for easier access as well.  This person folds up the seat's right armrest and does a side transfer to it.  The shower seat was installed at the same height as his wheelchair's seat.  His spouse folds the seat up, out of the way, when she uses the shower; a standard-height showerhead is also included in this design.

 

 

 

 

Some home modifications are very unusual; I designed this roll-in shower for independent use by an adult who is very small.  He can reach all the controls and now bath by himself.  A high showerhead is also installed so that others can use it as well.  This person uses a custom rolling waterproof "skateboard" (below), which I built for him to use in this shower.