Handicap Access

Welcome to Handicap Access which is a blog that focuses on the many issues surrounding the problems that people have with accessibility, whether it be to certain buildings, transportation or information. The aim is to provide as much relevant information on a wide variety of subjects concerning the problems encountered by people with disabilities and those with limited mobility issues and finding solutions that can be easily or cheaply implemented.

This will include articles on many different aspects of disability living from the aforementioned accessibility issues such as handicap ramps to gain entry to public buildings and transportation. it includes mobility such as handicap vans and other specially adapted vehicles as well as personal transport solutions such as handicap scooters (electric scooters). It looks at habitation issues such as handicapped bathrooms and all the ways in which these facilities can be enhanced or improved to better serve that sector of teh populace they are designed for.

We also go into the human side of this subject and look at ways to make certain situations better such as the problems faced when trying to negotiate inadequate paving ramps on sidewalks, uneven walkway flooring or narrow sidewalks where cars park on them making it impossible to get a wheelchair past.

All these issues and problems are rarely seen as such by the able bodied sector of the community, but are a big deal to those that face them every day. The idea is not so much to name and shame, more to enlighten and suggest alternatives that can be both workable and simple to implement. Let’s see where this takes us…

When it comes to redesigning your bathroom to include a complete facility for a person with disabilities, wheelchair user or person with limited mobility there are many integral items of furniture and facilities that you can include to make it a special place where functionality is combined with comfort and a place to enjoy bathing. One such addition to this kind of bathroom is a bathtub that is not only easy to use unaided, but is safe and enjoyable all at the same time.

These handicap bathtubs are generally higher and more squat in appearance to a regular tub and this is for two main reasons. First, the bather, in order to remain safe when bathing unsupervised, bathes in a sitting position on an integrated seat in the bath, with handrails in strategic positions to facilitate safe bathing and to help with transferring from wheelchair to bath unaided, assuming the user has sufficient upper body strength to accomplish this. Second, the walls are high to enable the bather to enjoy full immersion in hot water, while a side door is integrated into the wall to allow easy entry and exit without the user having to step over a slippery and often dangerous bath side as is in the case of a regular tub.

The best way to enjoy a bath where you are fully immersed in the safest environment is in one of the better quality handicap bathtubs that you can buy and install in your home. You simply can’t beat the enjoyment and accompanying safety aspect of using one of these tubs unaided and in complete privacy to restore your dignity and instill a feeling of self worth once more.

It goes without saying that the need for a handicap bathroom at home is hugely important and it is in this kind of facility that this kind of specialized bathtub is most at home. So if you are considering remodeling your bathroom to upgrade it to cater for people with disabilities or if you already have such a facility and want to improve the bathing facilities in there, then one of the excellent handicap bathtubs that are currently available would make an excellent addition and vastly improve the value to its owner.

If you ever decided that you could really use a stair lift, but were at a loss to know how you were going to be able to afford to buy one, there is a cheaper option that is available to you. That option is to rent a stair lift.

Many people don’t even know that rental is a possibility with something as unusual and fixed as a residential stair chair lift, but you can rent just about anything you can also buy these days, and a handicap lift is one of them. But there are some issues that you need to know about before you go ahead and seek out a good rental company.

The first issue is not so much the initial cost, but the on-going costs of renting a home stair lift. These can mount up month by month and if you are considering rental as a long term option, then it cam work out to be far more expensive than buying one. But of course, there is the catch 22. For folks that can’t affort the costs of buying, rental is an affordable alternative, but the total costs will soar as the months go by and that is money being thrown away into the void because when you run out of money, the rental company repo men will come back and take your stair lift away.

Is there another alternative?

You can try a finance option, but again, for many people who need a stair lift, they are often elderly and do not qualify for finance. Another option is a community or charitable institution financial grant or loan. This is worth seeking out and while it may not meet the full cost of buying and installing a home stair chair, it may meet a goodly proportion of that cost, enabling you to pay the rest from your savings.

However, for the short term, stair lift rental is a cheap and affordable option that can be explored as long as you know you’ll be able to afford the monthly payments.