Many types of orthopedic or neuromuscular impairments can impact mobility. These include but are not limited to amputation, paralysis, cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, and spinal cord injury.

Disabilities that Require Wheelchairs

• Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Amputations.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Cerebral Palsy (CP)
• Diabetes.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Muscular Dystrophy.
• Parkinson’s Disease.

A wheelchair is a moveable chair with wheels that a person can control manually or electronically. A wheelchair prescription is given to people who need help moving—for instance, because they are unable to walk on their own. Patients with temporary or permanent disabilities can benefit from a wheelchair prescription.

Who Needs a Wheelchair? Kids can need wheelchairs for many different reasons. Some have had injuries either to their legs or spine, which controls leg movement. Others have disabilities due to muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy.

How long should a resident be in the wheelchair for? We would recommend that a resident spends no longer than 3-4 hours at any one time in the wheelchair before being transferred to another position.

People who are immobile often sit in one chair for many hours throughout the day. In the community, wheelchair users spend up to 18 hours a day in a wheelchair (Stockton and Parker, 2002). Many are subject to sustained unrelieved pressures due to their lack of pressure-relieving movement.

30-inches by 48-inches

32 inches

There are certain steps to take in order to ensure the space is easy to use, and most often these changes can be made quickly.

1. Invest in a Roll-in Shower.
2. Invest in an Accessible Bath.
3. Add Hardware for Stability.
4. Expand the Door Opening.
5. Adjust Height of Sinks.
6. Adjust Height of Toilet.

Therefore, an ADA shower is one that is sufficiently handicap accessible. Such showers typically feature wide openings, low thresholds, grab bars, and built-in seating. They also feature both built-in seating and horizontal grab bars on the back wall and on the side wall opposite the seat.

Barrier Free & Low Barrier Showers The low barrier shower has an open side that is level to the floor, which eliminates the obstacle of stepping over a high shower wall and easily allows wheelchair accessibility. Installing handicap showers doesn’t have to be an expensive, lengthy process.

10 Ways to Make a Handicap Accessible Home

1. Replace stairs with ramps. Stairs are a hazard for many, not just those in wheelchairs but for anyone with limited mobility.
2. Install a stair lift.
3. Consider an elevator.
4. Remove bathing barriers.
5. Update your toilet.
6. Place handrails in key areas.
7. Ditch doorknobs.
8. Simplify pool entry.

How to Make a Doorway Wheelchair-Accessible

1. How to Determine If Your Doorways Need Widened. Though opinions on the amount of clearance needed for a wheelchair vary, according to the ADA, wheelchair-accessible doors must be a minimum of 32 inches wide.
2. Install a Ramp.
3. Use Offset Hinges.
4. Widen the Doorway.

When talking about places with accommodations for people with disabilities, use the term “accessible” rather than “disabled” or “handicapped.” For example, refer to an “accessible” parking space rather than a “disabled” or “handicapped” parking space or “an accessible bathroom stall” rather than “a handicapped bathroom …

Include pull-out shelves in your design — a shelf that comes out of the countertop can provide an easily accessible working space to prepare food. Kitchen sinks should have an open space beneath them to provide wheelchair or walker accessibility.

Place often used items within reach such as spice rack and cutting boards. Use cabinet accessories that make the cabinets more accessible such as pull down shelves, adjustable shelves, drawer dividers, lazy susan cabinet, et cetera. Use looped cabinet pulls instead of knobs that are operable with a closed fist.

In addition to having a maximum height of 36 inches, all accessible sales and service counters must have a clear floor space in front of the accessible surface that permits a customer using a wheelchair to pull alongside. This space is at least 30 inches by 48 inches and may be parallel or perpendicular to the counter.