Special Needs Checklist for Home Design
Source: AARP.org | April 18, 2005
A home with universal design features is a home that fits everyone - even those who face special physical challenges. Here is a list of some physical challenges that many people face. The questions below each condition will help you find out if your home will help you or a relative live with those challenges.
You can complete the checklist online and then print it or print the list and complete it later 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. Did you answer "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 links at the left side of this screen.
Limited Reach
| Yes | No | |
| My upper kitchen cabinets are 48 inches from the floor. | ||
| My kitchen and closets have pull-down shelving. | ||
| My cabinet shelves are no more than 10 inches deep. | ||
| I have a Lazy Susan to reach things stored on deep shelves. | ||
| I have pull-out shelves in the kitchen. | ||
| I have a side-by-side refrigerator. | ||
| My oven doors swing to the side. | ||
| My cooktop has easy-to-reach controls at the front. | ||
| My sink controls are on the side so I can reach them easily. | ||
| My microwave oven is no higher than 48 inches above the floor. | ||
| There is a hand-held shower in my bathroom. | ||
| My closet rods pull down to a comfortable level. | ||
| I have a closet organizer that helps me reach all my belongings. | ||
| My electrical outlets are 27 inches above the floor. | ||
| My clothes washer and dryer are front-loading |
Poor Strength in Hands and Arms
| Yes | No | |
| Cabinets and drawers have D-shape handles. | ||
| Special hardware makes my drawers slide easily. | ||
| I own a trash compactor so I don ' t have to lift as many trash bags. | ||
| I have a garbage disposal to reduce the trash I have to carry. | ||
| My sinks have lever faucet handles. | ||
| My countertops are smooth so heavy pans can slide across them. | ||
| Push-button controls are on all my appliances. | ||
| There is a heat-resistant counter near my microwave oven. | ||
| I have a spray hose so I can fill pots that are on the stove. | ||
| All my doors have lever handles. | ||
| I have rocker light switches. | ||
| I have an automatic garage door opener. |
Balance and Coordination Problems
| Yes | No | |
| The edges of my counters are rounded so I won ' t get hurt if I fall. | ||
| There is a bath seat in the tub or shower. | ||
| My bath tub has a transfer bench to ease getting in and out. | ||
| I have a walk-in shower and a pull-down seat. | ||
| Grab bars are near the bath and toilet. | ||
| There is a phone in the bathroom. | ||
| Every stairway has handrails on both sides. | ||
| The handrails extend beyond the top and bottom of the stairs. | ||
| I don ' t have to climb stairs to get to my bedroom or bathroom. |
Trouble Bending
| Yes | No | |
| My dishwasher is eight inches from the floor. | ||
| My lower kitchen cabinets are six inches above the floor. | ||
| I have a wall oven at a good height so I don ' t have to bend. | ||
| My sink is no more than 6? inches deep. | ||
| My microwave oven is no higher than 48 inches above the floor. | ||
| I use an elevated toilet or toilet seat. |
Trouble Walking and Climbing Stairs
| Yes | No | |
| The edges of my counters are rounded so I won ' t get hurt if I fall. | ||
| I have a countertop that I can use while sitting | ||
| There is knee space under the stove so I can sit while cooking. | ||
| There is knee space under all my sinks so I can sit while washing. | ||
| I have a bath seat in the tub or shower. | ||
| I can use a transfer bench to get in and out of the tub. | ||
| I have a walk-in shower. | ||
| Grab bars are near the bath and toilet. | ||
| Handrails are on both sides of every stairway. | ||
| The handrails extend beyond the top and bottom of the stairs. | ||
| I don ' t have to climb stairs to get to my bedroom or bathroom. | ||
| All my stairs have a slip-resistant surface. | ||
| My doors are wide enough for a walker to get through. | ||
| The threshold on my door is no higher than 1/4 inch. | ||
| My floors are smooth and slip-resistant. | ||
| My carpet has a low pile and a firm pad. | ||
| I do not have my area rugs. | ||
| Clutter and electric cords are out of my path. | ||
| My driveway is smooth, but not slippery. | ||
| I have a ramp to my front door with handrails on both sides. |
Uses a Wheelchair or Can't Stand for Long Periods
| Yes | No | |
| I can use my counter while sitting in a wheelchair. | ||
| There is knee space under the stove. | ||
| There is knee space under all my sinks. | ||
| All of my appliances have controls at the front so I can reach them. | ||
| I have a side-by-side refrigerator. | ||
| My oven doors swing to the side. | ||
| My microwave oven is no higher than 48 inches above the floor. | ||
| There is a heat-resistant counter near my microwave oven. | ||
| The kitchen ad closets have pull-down shelving. | ||
| My cabinet shelves are no more than 10 inches deep. | ||
| I use a Lazy Susan to reach things stored on deep shelves. | ||
| I have pull-out shelves in the kitchen. | ||
| I have a roll-in shower. | ||
| I have a hand-held shower. | ||
| I have a way to transfer into the tub. | ||
| There is enough space to transfer from wheelchair to toilet. | ||
| My closet rods pull down to a comfortable level. | ||
| I have a closet organizer that helps me reach all my belongings. | ||
| I have a " walk-in " closet that is wide enough for my wheelchair. | ||
| My electrical outlets are 27 inches above the floor. | ||
| My doors and hallways are wide enough for a wheelchair. | ||
| There is enough floor space near doors to move my wheelchair. | ||
| The threshold on my door is 1/4 inch or less. | ||
| I can wheel myself from my car to the front door and then inside. | ||
| I can wheel myself to a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. | ||
| My walkway and driveway are smooth but not slippery. | ||
| I have a ramp to my front door that has landings at bottom and top. | ||
| The ramp has an edging so I won't slide off. | ||
| My floors are smooth; my carpet has a low pile and a firm pad. | ||
| Clutter and electric cords are out of my path. |
Limited Vision
| Yes | No | |
| I have increased the wattage of my light bulbs. | ||
| My stove controls are clearly marked and easy to see. | ||
| Under-the-cabinet lights are over the kitchen counter. | ||
| The edge of my counters are a different color than the top. | ||
| My stove has big numbers that I can see from across the room. | ||
| My stove uses different colors to tell me which parts are hot. | ||
| Lights are in all my closets. | ||
| My outside walkways, stairs, and entrances are all well-lit. | ||
| All indoor stairs are well lit. | ||
| The edge of each step is a color that stands out. | ||
| My steps are a different color than the surrounding area. |
Hearing Impairment
| Yes | No | |
| My smoke detectors have strobe lights. | ||
| I increased the volume on my phones. | ||
| My dishwasher is ultra-quiet to reduce background noise. |
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