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Whether you’re getting older or hoping to stay in your home for the long haul, home remodeling for disability accommodation is one of the smartest decisions you can make. According to Statista, around 13% of people in the U.S. have a disability, and this statistic is bound to increase as the population ages. So whether you or a loved one currently have a disability, or you’re safeguarding for the future, your home — of all places — should be easy to live in, no matter what your abilities.
So you’ve decided to dive into home remodeling for disability accommodation. How much can you expect to pay for something like this?
Short answer … it depends. Some home renovation projects are small, requiring installation adjustments. Others need some structural changes, which is where we come in. Take a good look at your living space to see where some improvements and home modifications can be made.
Today, we’ll help you get an idea of what your home renovation process may cost. This includes the kinds of projects to consider, where to look for improvements, and tips going forward. Continue reading to gain a better understanding of accessible home renovations in Columbus, Ohio.
Before home remodeling for disability accommodation, you need to think about what disabilities you should adjust for. Quite a few disabilities make it difficult or impossible for one to move around the house with ease. Some make it hard for one to reach up high, such as someone in a wheelchair. Then there are vision-related disabilities; the color of the area and objects within it should be highly visible and easy to navigate.
Here are some of the major parts of the home that would need remodeling to make it more universally designed:
Whether it be the front or the back door, you almost certainly have at least a small step to climb. That gets in the way of those in wheelchairs or with crutches from entering or exiting with ease.
Furthermore, doorways and passageways need to be wide enough to fit a wheelchair.
“Commonly found exterior doors measure anywhere between 28 inches and 32 inches,” reports Inclinator, a residential elevator company that helps people stay in their homes after disability, “You may need to widen the back or side door of your home. Inside the home, standard doors for hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms measure 34 inches wide. However, half-bath doors generally are much narrower, with a distance between 25 and 30 inches wide. Small doorways will need widening because their existing width is too small for a wheelchair to maneuver through them.”
Some disabilities make it difficult or impossible to reach high above. That makes access to that box of cereal tough without help. The right height adjustments make it easier to get what’s needed. Plus, it makes it safer by removing the increased risk of dropping something sharp or heavy. The ideal height should be nothing higher than 36 inches.
This is where the majority of at-home injuries occur. Of course, you know of the typical slips and falls, often due to wet floors.. Take away the slip factors and you’ll easily reduce the risk of injuries.
But conventional bathrooms are also a challenge for people with disabilities because conventional showers and baths aren’t built to accommodate, say, an entire wheelchair.
An accessible shower should be barrier free and feature inside dimensions of at least 60” x 30” to meet ADA guidelines.
You’re going to spend most of your time in your bedroom. Those with certain physical disabilities need to have more space to navigate. Arranging the room to be more spaced out and installing wider openings will make moving around easier for those in wheelchairs.
It’d also be smart to consider the color of everything. If the room has dark wallpaper, get furniture of a lighter tone and vice versa. This makes it easier on those with vision-related disabilities to see objects better. If everything is dark or light, it makes it harder to see objects, which can be tricky (and even dangerous).
When it comes to home remodeling for disability accommodation, costs can vary. It depends on your location, what kind of changes need to be made, and what disability you’re trying to accommodate. HomeAdvisor shares that these remodeling costs will add up to $4,500 on average.
Those costs can greatly fluctuate depending on how many rooms you need to work with, how many structural changes must be made, or the total shelving adjustments.
As mentioned earlier, height is a common challenge for many people with disabilities. Adjusting the height of some of the common fixtures is simple, pretty cheap, and makes a huge difference. However, these don’t always require work from Heitmeyer and similar companies.
One easy low-end project is lowering the height of doorknobs and light switches or adding turners and pullers. This way, wheelchair users and crutch walkers won’t have a hard time reaching these. Depending on how many you have to adjust, the overall project could cost around $100.
Another small project is adding a ramp to entrances. Make sure that it’s not more than a foot high and that there are handrails. A quick ramp installation can be less than $100, but a permanent ramp (like concrete) could be over $1,000.
Projects of this caliber are where the services of Heitmeyer Building & Design are ready to help.
In the bathroom, the typical renovations include installing a walk-in shower and making sure the bathroom is large and wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. There’d also be access by the tub door and a seat inside the tub to prevent having to stand. While that’s great, you can make it even better. Installing non-slip tiles will greatly increase accessibility. It’ll also significantly reduce the number of bathroom injuries.
While you’re in the bathroom, also look into lowering the height of your sink, mirror, and cabinets. That’s a small project that compliments a large overall bathroom remodel.
Those in homes with many stairs and elderly residents would benefit from installing a stairlift. Such a project would cost at least $1,500. The length of your home’s stairs and width of the stairway contribute to the overall cost. You have the choice of elevators as well, but that could cost well over $30,000.
We shared earlier that more space means more accessibility. One major way to add space is by widening your hallways and doorways. Although depending on your home’s layout, it may be more effective to create an open floor plan. Contact us to discuss what would be the best method for this project.
A great home makes your family members living in or visiting feel like they’re at home. No one should have to struggle to navigate in their own space.
More and more, we’re seeing an increase of multigenerational families across the country, not just Colombus, Ohio. Your home should be comfortable for everyone. Let the experts at Heitmeyer Building and Design bring our 100 years of expertise to make your home more universal.
Heitmeyer Building & Design is a Construction company with over 100 years of experience in commercial construction and residential construction located in Pickerington, Ohio.
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