Checklist for Doors, Floors and Hallways
Can you or a visitor get out of a car and into your home without running into any barriers? Can all visitors get to the living room, the kitchen, a full bathroom, and a bedroom? Even people in wheelchairs? Here's a good way to find out. Take a good look around your home. Then, then complete this checklist online or print it out to complete by hand.
Did you answer "yes" to a question? Great! That part of your home should be easy to use for many years to come. Have you answered "no" to a few questions? You'll need to take a second look at these aspects of your home design. For more information on how to modify your home, follow the link at the top of the section.
Clear Pathways - Creating an Accessible Home
| Yes | No | |
| A smooth path leads from the curb to my house. | ||
| A smooth path leads from the curb to my house. | ||
| The path gently slopes and is not steep. | ||
| It is 36 inches wide. | ||
| I have cut back the shrubs on the side of the path. | ||
| The path is free of trees that could drop berries or leaves. | ||
| The path is even; there are no holes in the pavement. | ||
| The path has a textured surface. | ||
| It is well lit. | ||
| Outdoor lights turn on when someone moves in front of them. | ||
| A ramp leads to my front door. | ||
| There is a handrail on the front steps. | ||
| Every step has a non-slip surface. | ||
| My home has a bedroom and full bathroom on the first floor. | ||
| The washer and dryer are on the same floor as my bedroom. | ||
| I've cleared clutter from my floors. | ||
| I have removed all my area rugs. | ||
| The flooring in my home is smooth and slip-resistant. | ||
| My carpet has a low pile and a firm pad. |
Ramps
| Yes | No | |
| A professional built the ramp at my home. | ||
| The ramp is not steep. | ||
| The ramp was built close to the house. | ||
| There is a landing at the top of the ramp. | ||
| There is a landing at the bottom of the ramp. | ||
| There is a landing in the middle of a long ramp. | ||
| There is a landing each time the ramp changes direction. | ||
| Each landing is 60 inches long and 60 inches wide. | ||
| The ramp is level from side to side. | ||
| Its surface is not slippery when wet. | ||
| There are guardrails to keep someone from falling off the ramp. | ||
| The guardrails are 18 inches from the ramp floor. | ||
| There are handrails on both sides of the ramp. | ||
| The handrails are made of wood. | ||
| They extend at least 12 inches beyond the ramp. | ||
| There is a 2" edging along the floor of the ramp. | ||
| There are stairs I can use if I don't want to use the ramp. |
The Front Door
| Yes | No | |
| My front doorway is at least 32 inches wide. | ||
| The threshold is flush with the floor, or only ½ inch high. | ||
| The front door has lever handles. | ||
| There is a 5' x 5' open space inside and outside the front door. | ||
| There is an overhang above the door. | ||
| There is an outside shelf near the door. | ||
| I have a keyless locking system. | ||
| I can see visitors before I open the door. | ||
| The front door area is well lit. | ||
| My front porch is visible from the street. |
Garage Door Opener
| Yes | No | |
| I have a garage door opener. | ||
| My garage door opener has "Rolling Code Technology." |
Doorways and Hallways
| Yes | No | |
| All the doorways inside my home are at least 32 inches wide. | ||
| There is 18-24"of clear floor space on the handle side of each door. | ||
| There is 60 inches of clear floor space in front of each door. | ||
| All thresholds are either flush with the floor or ½ inch high. | ||
| All the hallways in my home are at least 36 inches wide. |
Lever Door Handles
| Yes | No | |
| I have lever handles on all my doors.. | ||
| All my lever handles curve back toward the door. | ||
| The handles are at least 5 inches long. | ||
| They are no higher than 44 inches from the floor. | ||
| I have a "freewheeling" or "clutch" handle on doors that lock. |
Stairs
| Yes | No | |
| The flat part of my steps (called "treads") are 11-12 inches deep. | ||
| These treads are at least 36 inches wide. | ||
| I have one landing for every 10 steps in my staircase. | ||
| There are at least three steps between each landing. | ||
| There is a landing each time a staircase changes direction. | ||
| Each stairway has a railing on both sides. | ||
| Single steps in my home are marked clearly. | ||
| The staircase is well lit. | ||
| There is a light switch at the top and bottom of each staircase. | ||
| My front porch is visible from the street. |
Handrails
| Yes | No | |
| Every stairway or step in my home has a handrail. | ||
| Each handrail is about 34 inches from the floor. | ||
| It is rounded off at the end. | ||
| It is 1½ inches from the wall. | ||
| It can support 250 pounds. | ||
| It extends 12 inches beyond the top and bottom step. | ||
| It is no bigger than 1½ inches around. | ||
| There is a handrail on each side of every staircase. | ||
| The handrail continues around each landing on a stairway. | ||
| All my handrails are screwed tightly into the wall studs. | ||
| I check my handrails often to make sure they aren't loose. |
