Home Modifications for Families with Disabled Child

Wheelchair ramp at home

Adaptive home modifications for homes with disabled child

Whether a child is born with a disability or it develops later in life, there are many family decisions to make when it comes to modifications and adaptive designs that can be essential in allowing disabled children to live in their own homes with as much independence as possible. Keeping your disabled child at home and safe is important to you, and modifying your home to make that happen is the perfect compromise.

Home modifications span across a wide range, from allowing for a child in a wheelchair to navigate the home easily or making room for someone who has hearing or vision impairments. Instances can be temporary (recovery from a broken bone) or longer term in nature. Regardless, homes should provide children – and parents – with a strong sense of security. Without proper safety measures, homes can become hazardous to those with disabilities or physical impairments.

Oftentimes, parents of disabled kids have a lot of questions about which solutions to consider for various situations. Legally, a child is someone under the age of 18 years. However, parents (or other family members) many times continue to care for children with disabilities long after they reach adulthood.

David Self, owner of Next Day Access DFW, knows firsthand that when it comes to children, teens and adult children who have disabilities or illnesses, homes often need custom mobility equipment or minor structural changes to make these modifications fit within the established home.

Many modifications can be simple solutions, but others might be more involved. Depending on your child’s condition, every area of your home can be outfitted to ensure easy access and convenience. You may need to consider a few or all of the following:

  • Widening doors and installing ramps
  • Providing or improving access to rooms and facilities, for example, by installing a stair lift or providing a level access shower
  • Improving access to and movement around the home to enable you to care for the child
  • Grab rails installed in bathrooms and by toilets
  • Light switches, door handles, bells and security keypads moved so your child can still reach them
  • Lifts and stair lifts installed
  • Leveling, compacting or creating accessible exterior approaches
  • Installing specialized furniture and other equipment

Today, there are a lot more products available that have an appearance that’s much more compatible with the décor of a home. For more information about home modifications for people with disabilities, visit www.disability.gov and for more information about Next Day Access DFW, visit www.nextdayaccess.com.

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