How to Adapt a Kitchen for Disabled Use

The kitchen is one of the most difficult rooms to adapt for use by a disabled person.  It can take a lot of work to ensure that a kitchen is safe and functional, but it is possible to design a kitchen that can be used by a disabled person, allowing them to retain as much independence as possible.

Identify the Danger Zones

Kitchens are dangerous places even for able-bodied people.  Hot water, naked flames, gas, and sharp objects are all accidents waiting to happen.  When you’re adapting a home for a disabled person, the first thing to consider is which areas are the most likely to cause problems.  From there, you can work on adapting those areas.

For example, a gas hob is more dangerous than an induction hob, and electric ovens are much easier to work with than gas ones.  Microwaves can be useful for people with mobility issues, but may not be safe for someone with dementia who might forget not to put metal inside.

Many companies make built-in ovens which, combined with a standalone induction hob may provide the flexibility you need to put together a functional kitchen where everything is at the right height for a disabled person.

Disability Aids

The implications of restricted mobility can be further reaching than you might think. Being confined to a wheelchair, or having co-ordination issues or a weakened grip can make even the most mundane of tasks difficult.

When you’re converting the kitchen, don’t just consider the height of the counter tops and the amount of space in the room.  Consider how accessible storage areas are, how easy it is to operate the ironing board, and the size and position of the sink taps.  Reaching over the sink may be difficult for someone with restricted mobility, and traditional screw taps may be too hard to turn.  Consider using a zip hydrotap instead of a screw tap.  Not only are zip hydrotaps bigger and easier to operate, they make it easier to control the temperature of the water.

Choosing Work Surfaces

You will need to take care when choosing work surfaces and storage for a disabled person.  It’s a good idea to ensure that there is as much space as possible around the work surfaces, so that they are easily accessible, and allow the user of the kitchen to reach everything that they need to work efficiently.

If the user has other impairments, such as being partially sighted, then you may want to opt for a work surface that is matt, to ensure that they do not have to struggle with excessive glare.

Safety First

Other considerations include smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors (these are important if you have a gas cooker instead of an induction hob), timers, and assistance alarms.

If you find that you need to make extensive modifications to the kitchen in order to make it usable, be sure to contact your local authority to see if there is any financial aid available to offset the expenses you are facing.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of The Kitchen Appliance Centre who can supply a variety of fixtures and fittings such as Zip taps and induction hobs to make any kitchen safer to use.