Homes Without Roadblocks for Wheelchair Users

From the front door to the bathroom rug, a home can be filled with hurdles for those with disabilities. A practical new book from the Paralyzed Veterans of America helps make new homes and existing structures easier to navigate.

“Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User” offers tips for entrances, bathrooms, kitchens and more. The 66-page guide addresses layout, plumbing fixtures, floor surfaces and other design features.

For homeowners, it’s vital to “understand the unique needs, capabilities and limitations of the wheelchair user,” says architect Kim A. Beasley, Paralyzed Veterans of America director of architecture and co-author of the guide with Thomas D. Davies Jr. Then they must “find a contractor who is willing to listen, understand and respond to those needs.”

Beasley says that in addition to ordering the book (available for $7.95 from [888] 860-7244), homeowners can contact Paralyzed Veterans of America ([800] 424-8200 or visit the Web at https://www.pva.org) for free information on how to modify a home to meet temporary or permanent needs.