![]() You might want to add about four inches to this width, so you have room to put your hands on the hand rims, so now you’re up to 29″. Manual wheelchairs are normally 7″ to 9″ wider than the seat width, so an 18″ wheelchair will be 25″ wide. So if someone refers to an 18″ wheelchair, they say the seat width is 18″. Wheelchairs are measured by seat size normally. The wider the hallway, the easier it is to swing around and pass through the doorway at a straighter angle. In the case of wheelchair number two, the hallway’s width will affect how successful the entrance through the doorway will be. Wheelchair number 2 is going to have to shimmy back and forth and may have to remove a footrest actually to get through the doorway. ![]() Wheelchair number 2 is trying to access a doorway from a hallway.Īs can be seen, how you approach a doorway greatly impacts how wide the doorway needs to be. Wheelchair number 1 is approaching the doorway straight on from a wide-open room. If you look at the sketch I did (sorry, I’m no artist), you’ll see two wheelchairs and two doorways.īoth wheelchairs are the same size, and both doorways are the same width. So when someone asks, “what width doorway do I need for my wheelchair?” some thought needs to be put into the answer. I’ve created pages on entrances, electric door openers and doorway options but not much on doorway width.Īt first thought, doorway widths are easy, but factors need to be taken into account. Contact us today to find out how we can make your home more accessible.After steps and curbs, doorways are probably the biggest deterrent to independent mobility for wheelchair users. We provide a wide range of home modifications, including stair lifts, ramps, railings and bathroom modifications.Īnd if you need a new mobility option, Marx has wheelchairs for sale and rent, from lightweight wheelchairs to mobility scooters and power chairs. Let Marx Medical help you put things right. Putting a wheelchair ramp at the entrance to your home makes life easier for wheelchair users as well as anyone who might have trouble getting up and down steps.Įveryone deserves to feel safe and comfortable where they live, but for people who use wheelchairs, home can feel like an obstacle course. Putting in a stair lift or even an in-home elevator allows you or your loved one who uses a wheelchair to have the same level of independence as the rest of the family. Stairwaysįor wheelchair users, stairways can make entire sections of a home into an out-of-bounds area. Levers make life much more comfortable for wheelchair users, whether that means replacing round doorknobs with lever handles or swapping the round faucets on kitchen and bathroom sinks for levers. If getting rid of the gravel isn’t an option, try to use smaller stones and keep the surface leveled-off and free of weeds. Whenever possible, replace gravel with a smooth surface like concrete or asphalt, or at least leveled paving stones. If moving a lightweight wheelchair across carpeting is a pain, trying to get one through gravel is an outright ordeal. A low-pile rug in the living room can work as long as it has no tassels and contains a non-slip backing. Remove these whenever possible, particularly in bathrooms, the kitchen, and entryways. It’s tough trying to steer a wheelchair across a loose rug or thick carpeting. You can do this by merely placing small blocks of wood under the legs of your chairs and sofas. You may also want to raise pieces of furniture to make it easy for wheelchair users to sit. You’ll need to arrange furniture so that there’s at least a five-foot turning radius and a 32-inch path. Wheelchair users need a lot of space to move around. They make it easier to get in and out of a tub or shower and on and off the toilet.īe sure to install a non-slip mat in the tub and use a toilet riser to increase the height of the toilet for people who have trouble bending over. Grab bars in the bathroom are essential to anyone using a wheelchair. Inside closets, lower the clothing rods to make it easier for wheelchair users to access their wardrobe. If extending the doorway isn’t an option, you can remove the doors from their hinges and install pocket doors or replace the doors with drapes or curtains. ![]() The standard doorway width is 24 inches, but you’ll need to extend it to at least 30 inches for wheelchairs to get through. There’s a good chance the doors in your house aren’t wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, whether that’s a lightweight wheelchair or a sturdier power chair. Here are some things you can do to make your home wheelchair accessible. While most public buildings are designed for wheelchair accessibility, the same isn’t always true for private homes, where using even a lightweight wheelchair can be a challenge.īut with a few modifications, it’s easy for people who use wheelchairs to get around inside their homes. ![]()
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