Finding the right house when your child is wheelchair-dependent

It is difficult to accept that your child may be wheelchair-dependent. When our little ones are babies or toddlers they are not much different from typical children in that they can fit in most regular car seats and strollers. We can easily carry them around the home and up the stairs just like other parents. The fact that stairs could be such a barrier may not even cross your mind.

We moved into our first single-family home when our son was 20 months old. Most homes in the area were multi-level homes so a one-level ranch was not even an option at the time. Truthfully, I don’t even think we would have appreciated the value of one-level living back then anyway. For a few years we continued to carry our son up an down the stairs, in and out of a narrow bathroom, and into and out of a regular bathtub. It really wasn’t much of a problem at all because he weighed less than 30lbs. When he finally learned to sit up unsupported (on his 3rd birthday) we felt there was hope that he may be able to stand and even walk someday. We silently hoped that we would not need an accessible home.

Our son continued to grow and we soon began to realize that our current home would not be able to accommodate him without large-scale, costly renovations. We decided to move to another home in the area and eventually ended up moving yet again (the last time was for employment reasons). We’ve learned quite a few things after shopping for two homes and continue to learn as our son approaches his adolescent years at almost 90lbs, wheelchair dependant, and 100% dependant for all of his needs.

If you are in the position of purchasing a home and have a child in a wheelchair, you have the ability to somewhat choose your battles (within your budget and what’s on the market of course). In any market or price range, you need to be a smart shopper for accessibility. That means not only considering your current needs but trying to envision your needs for the future. This can be challenging. Much of this means anticipating your child’s size and the size of the equipment he/she will require in the future. They grow faster than we think so it’s best to be as ready as possible.

Home accessibility features to consider when you have a wheelchair-dependent child

1. Driveway

Is the driveway steep? If so, how will it be to push a 100lb child up that driveway….in the snow? Is the driveway paved? Our current home had a gravel driveway when we moved in. What a pain! We knew it would be an issue but we decided that because it was a flat driveway we would accept the cost of paving it. We wheeled our son through the lawn for a few months and fortunately were able to have it paved just in time for the winter. Let me tell you that a gravel driveway in the winter with a wheelchair user would have been extremely difficult. I urge you not to overlook the driveway.

2. Entry into the house

How many steps lead into the house? Less steps are always better. Remember that according to ADA standards, for each 1 inch of rise you would need 12 inches of ramp. So, for the three steps into our current front door (23 inch rise) we need 23 feet of ramp. That is still quite a bit of ramp. So you can imagine that if you have 15 steps leading into a home how it could be a challenge to build a ramp. It can be done but do you have the land space for it? Is it practical? How will it look? In those cases platform lift or elevator type lift might better. Look at all of the entry points. Maybe the front door has 3-4 steps but the side door or garage entry has a more level entry?

Along with the entry, you should take note of any steps within the home. Split level-homes can be particularly challenging for this reason. One or two steps can sometimes be accommodated with an indoor ramp, but take note of whether there is space to do so.

3. Doorways

How wide are the doorways? ADA guidelines for doorways are minimum of 32 inches. This is manageable but gets tricky as your child’s wheelchair size becomes larger. Our 32 inch door ended up with lots of bumps and scuff marks even in just a year. A more comfortable width is 36 inches but you will rarely find this as a standard feature in a residential home. Wheelchair widths can range from 20-30 inches on average (wider for an extra large size) so hallway width is another factor to be aware of. A comfortable hallway will be at least 48 inches wide. Consider your child’s path to and from the bedroom to the most commonly used areas in the home. Are there multiple long, narrow hallways? If he/she will ever propel independantly will this be a barrier?

4. First floor bedroom

Once your little one is not so little anymore, carrying him/her up and down the stairs will become difficult. In my opinion, a first floor bedroom is ideal. I don’t like the idea of taking a stairlift or elevator from the common areas of the home every time our son needs to do to the bedroom or bathroom or we need something from the bedroom. I also feel this is ideal because I don’t need to be concerned about a lift or elevator malfunctioning. Some homes don’t have a first floor bedroom but have a room you can potentially transform into a bedroom. We purchased our last home knowing that we would turn the dining room into a bedroom, and it worked out great!

There are drawbacks, however. We were not able to find a home with two bedroooms on the ground floor so this meant that our son would need to sleep on the first floor alone while we watched him on a monitor. Fortunately our bedroom was just above his with an open foyer so it wasn’t too bad. It also was not so much of a concern when we had night nursing but when we didn’t I didn’t like having to walk down the stairs every time the monitors beeped.

Your needs may be different. You may have other children and would prefer your child to be upstairs with the rest of your family. If so, perhaps a first floor bedroom is not so much of a priority for you. But, don’t underestimate the logistics of using lifts/elevators multiple times per day.

Elevators can give you access to multiple floors but can be pricey while a stair lift may be more affordable. You should consider though, that a stairlift will require additional transfers (wheelchair to lift chair and lift chair out to another wheelchair on the second floor). Once your child is heavier, this can be physically difficult for you and caregivers.

5. Accessible bathroom

The majority of homes will not have an accessible bathroom. The question is, does the home you considering have a bathroom that can be easily modified? Is it near the bedroom you are considering for your child? Does it have enough space to fit a wheelchair or toileting chair? If not, can it be easily reconfigured to accommodate such equipment? A roll-in shower is ideal but may be hard to find. You may be able to find a walk-in shower but will need to find a way to go over the curb (there are products such as small ramps that can address this issue). Bathtubs are challenging for heavier children in wheelchairs, but may be an option if you can eventually install a ceiling lift that can help get your child into and out of the tub. Keep in mind the equipment your child uses for toileting and/or showering and the ability to maneuver with that equipment. Consider how many other people will use the bathroom as well.

6. Layout

Think about the paths most traveled by your child and family and how the layout can meet those needs.

We don’t always have the luxury to prioritize the layout when we have so many other considerations as above. I will say that as your child grows and needs larger equipment, you will value every inch of your house. But bigger may not always be better. An open layout in a smaller home may be much more wheelchair-friendly than a larger home with long narrow hallways.

In the end, you know your needs best but sometimes it is difficult to plan for the future. I thank you for reading and hope I’ve given you few useful tips. There will be upcoming posts on accessibility renovations, as we just finished accessible bathroom renovation #2 so stay tuned!!!