Staying in the home you love is important, especially when it’s where you feel the most comfortable. But sometimes, your situation can change, and you may find yourself using a wheelchair to help you get around. In fact, there are an estimated 1.2 million people in the UK who use a wheelchair — so you’re not alone.
You might be wondering if it’s time to relocate to an assisted living facility or move in with loved ones in a multi-generational home. Thankfully, with the right adaptations, you can transform the home you’re familiar with into a space that allows you to move freely and independently with your wheelchair.
In this guide, we’ll explore practical solutions for making your wheelchair-accessible home work for you, room by room.
What are the benefits of adapting for wheelchair access?
The NHS estimates there are around 1.2 million wheelchair users across the UK. If you’re one of them, making your home accessible has many benefits beyond the convenience of bringing your chair indoors.
It also allows you to move around your property easily and take care of your daily tasks without feeling limited or needing help from others — which is vital for maintaining your independence. Whether it’s getting from room to room, cooking, or using the bathroom, an accessible home helps you stay in control of your routine.
Adapting your property also makes living at home safer by reducing the chances of getting into accidents — like trips or falls. For example, replacing your flooring means you’re less likely to get rugs trapped in the wheels, while lowering countertops to a suitable height means there’s less worry about accidentally spilling hot food while trying to cook. These changes can give you reassurance, knowing that your home has been designed with your needs in mind.
Home adaptations for wheelchair accessibility
Adapting your home for wheelchair use can involve various changes, both big and small. From adjusting the layout of your kitchen to providing smooth transitions through doorways, these modifications are designed to help you travel through your home with ease.
Here are some changes you can make across key areas in the home to help you continue enjoying your everyday routine.
Kitchen adaptations
The kitchen is a central part of daily life — whether you’re preparing meals or washing up after a morning coffee with friends. However, for wheelchair users, this area can present some physical challenges — such as reaching high cupboards or manoeuvring through narrow spaces.
Fortunately, there are several adjustments that can make your kitchen more wheelchair-friendly:
- Lower countertops and cupboards — Your eye level when sitting in a wheelchair is around 41″, while the average counter height is 36″. This means that you’ll usually need to raise your arms to use the countertop. Reducing the counter height allows you to access items easily while seated.
- Consider rise-and-fall worktops — If you have the budget, these adjustable worktops are a great way to make your kitchen wheelchair-friendly. They can be raised or lowered using a motor, creating a space under the counter that lets you get closer to the stovetop or prep area while seated.
- Install wall-mounted appliances — Choose appliances that can be mounted on the wall at a comfortable height to reach from your chair. Many microwaves and even some smaller oven models can be installed on the wall, meaning their height can be fully customised to suit your needs.
- Use pull-down shelves — These can be fitted inside cupboards to help you access higher storage spaces without needing to stretch. They include a bar along the bottom that brings the shelves down to a more reachable height with a gentle pull, making it easier to grab what you need.
- Create through space — Make sure there is enough room between counters, kitchen islands, or tables for your wheelchair to move comfortably. The average width of a standard wheelchair is around 700mm, so you may need to replace your counters with a thinner model — especially if your kitchen is galley-style without much room.
Bathroom adaptations
Bathrooms are crucial to maintaining independence, providing a private space to wash and relax. Unfortunately, due to their limited space and slippery surfaces, they can also be one of the more challenging areas of the home for wheelchair users.
However, there are several practical adjustments that can make using the bathroom safer and more accessible:
- Install a wet room or walk-in shower — A wet room or walk-in shower allows you to wheel your chair directly into the bathing area, removing the need to step over a high edge or lip. These setups can also be combined with a flip-down shower seat to help you feel more comfortable as you bathe without needing to stand.
- Lower or ramped sinks — By lowering the sink height or adding a ramp up to the sink, you can easily reach it from a seated position. This ensures you’re able to wash your hands or brush your teeth comfortably without needing to stretch.
- Add handrails in critical areas — Installing handrails in important areas of the bathroom — such as the toilet and shower — provides extra support when transferring from your wheelchair. These rails can help you sit down and stand up more easily, reducing strain and the risk of falls.
Entryway adaptations
When it comes to creating an accessible home, the entrance plays a key role. For wheelchair users, making adjustments in this area is essential to ensure that you can enter and exit the house whenever you like without needing assistance moving over steps or through narrow door frames.
- Widen doorways — A standard UK wheelchair is around 700mm wide, so doorways should be widened to at least 800mm to allow smooth entry. If widening your doorway isn’t possible, removing the door frame might provide the extra space needed, but it’s recommended to measure the frame width before removing it to confirm.
- Install ramps — If your front door has a step or lip, adding an access ramp can make it much easier to wheel in and out. If you’d prefer not to install a ramp, you can lower the door threshold to remove any raised edges that may obstruct the wheelchair.
- Resurface outdoor pathways — Loose gravel or uneven paving surfaces outside the home can make it difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair. Resurfacing paths and driveways with solid materials like concrete or asphalt will help provide a safer, more accessible entrance.
Bedroom adaptations
If you use a wheelchair, the bedroom can present some unique challenges. Moving around furniture, getting out of and into the bed, and accessing essential items like light switches can all become more complicated — and simple tasks such as reaching for something on the bedside table may require extra support.
Thankfully, with a few accessibility adaptations, you can make your bedroom more functional while maintaining its comfortable atmosphere.
- Install grab rails by the bed — Adding grab rails to the wall beside the bed can provide extra support when transferring to and from your wheelchair. These rails make it easier to move around and offer more stability to help you feel secure.
- Consider a rising bed — These beds can be adjusted to a height that suits you using a remote control and hydraulic system, making it easier to get in and out. You can lower the bed to move from your wheelchair and raise it to a more comfortable height for sleeping or sitting up.
- Use ceiling pulley systems — Also known as ceiling hoists, these systems help lift you out of your wheelchair and into bed easily using a harness. They can be an excellent option for those with more limited mobility who need additional support when travelling between the chair and the bed.
- Install ceiling light cords — These cords are usually installed next to the bed and make it easy to control your room’s lighting without needing to climb back into your wheelchair if you forget to turn off the light switch.
Moving around the home
For those living in a multi-storey home, moving between floors can become one of the biggest challenges when using a wheelchair. Stairs are often hard to access without assistance, and relying on others for help can take away your sense of independence.
This is one of the core reasons that many who require additional mobility aids believe their options are limited to moving into a bungalow or assisted living facility. In fact, 80% of those aged over 65 living in a care home have some form of physical disability that limits their mobility. However, there are several ways to overcome this obstacle and keep all areas of your home within reach.
- Install a home lift — Unlike stairlifts, which require you to transfer out of your wheelchair to a seat mounted to a rail on the wall, a home lift allows you to remain seated in the chair as you move between floors. The Stiltz Trio easily accommodates a standard wheelchair, making it simple to continue living in a multi-storey home.
- Use stair rails — If you’re still able to use the stairs, installing stair rails on both sides of the staircase can offer extra stability and support. These rails provide a secure grip and help reduce the risk of falls.
Other wheelchair-friendly changes to make at home
While the larger changes may have a more obvious effect on everyday life, there are also several smaller adaptations that can make your home more wheelchair accessible. These tweaks can help ensure that every aspect of your living space is tailored to your needs, making daily tasks easier:
- Replace door handles — Standard door handles can be difficult to reach or operate from a seated position. Swapping them for easy-to-open models, such as lever handles, or installing automatic doors that open with the push of a button can make moving between rooms easier without compromising on privacy.
- Install smooth flooring — Carpeted floors can be hard to navigate with a wheelchair, as they create extra resistance against the wheels. Replacing carpet with smooth flooring, such as tile or linoleum, makes moving around easier. We recommend avoiding softer natural wood like beech, ash, or cherry, as your wheelchair may cause damage over time.
- Remove rugs — Rugs can create a tripping hazard or get caught in wheelchair wheels. Removing them can help you reduce risks and make wheelchair movement smoother.
- Introduce smart home technology — Incorporating smart devices such as remote-controlled curtains or blinds, automated lighting, or voice-activated assistants can make daily tasks more manageable.
Considerations when creating a wheelchair-accessible home
Before committing to any wheelchair adaptations, it’s important to consider your options carefully. While many changes can be made quickly, larger adaptations may need more planning, time, and financial investment. This is why it’s crucial to assess how these adjustments will affect your daily life and the overall layout of your home.
Next, we’ll explore key factors to help you make informed decisions when creating a wheelchair-accessible home.
1. Planning permission
If you’re hoping to make significant adaptations to your home — particularly any structural changes — it’s important to determine whether planning permission is needed. In the UK, smaller changes like installing grab rails or changing the type of shower you use generally don’t require permission, but larger modifications that change how the property looks might.
For example, widening doorways or making changes to the exterior of your home, such as adding ramps or extending entryways, might need written permission from your local council, depending on the property type and location. If you live in a listed building or wildlife conservation area, stricter rules might apply, and even minor changes may need approval.
You can find more detailed information on planning permission for accessibility modifications on the Planning Portal website.
2. Alternative accommodation
For larger home adaptations, such as kitchen or bathroom renovations, parts of your home may become difficult to access while work is being carried out. It’s important to think about alternative accommodation, ensuring that your temporary living space is wheelchair accessible.
Whether you stay with family and friends or in a rented property, make sure the area has accessible entrances and bathrooms and enough room for your wheelchair to move around comfortably.
3. Construction costs
Making large-scale changes to your home, such as installing a wet room or replacing your kitchen counters and appliances, can come with significant costs. Unfortunately, the average disabled household faces around £975 per month in extra expenses — so finding the funds to finance this construction work can be challenging.
However, the good news is that there are financial support options available to help spread the costs.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) provides up to £30,000 in England to cover necessary home adaptations, such as installing ramps and stairlifts or renovating to create accessible bathrooms. You can find more information about the DFG and check your eligibility on the Gov.uk website.
If you’re not eligible for the DFG, there are alternative forms of financial assistance available:
- Personal Independence Payments (PIP) — If you have a disability or health condition, you might qualify for PIP, a type of means-tested assistance which offers between £26.90 and £172.75 per week, depending on your circumstances. You can apply and find more details on the Government page.
- Attendance Allowance — For those over State Pension age with a disability that requires help with personal care, the Attendance Allowance offers £68.10 or £101.75 per week based on the level of support needed. You can check your eligibility and apply via the Gov.uk site.
- Turn2Us — Turn2Us is a charity that provides a search tool to help individuals find grants they may be eligible for, including those related to disability and home adaptations.
For further information about potential financial aid, see our guide on funding your home lift.
Stay in the home you love with Stiltz
If you plan to remain at home while using a wheelchair, adapting your property is critical to maintaining your independence and comfort. A home lift offers a simple way to move between floors without worrying about navigating the stairs.
Discover our range of Stiltz home lifts, including the Trio model, which has been designed specifically for wheelchair users. It ensures smooth, comfortable movement throughout your home, with plenty of room for a standard wheelchair.
For more information, contact us today. Our team of home lift experts are always here to help you find the best solution to continue enjoying your home now and in the future.