Many individuals who have enjoyed a life without physical disability will find themselves reliant upon a wheelchair at some point in their life. Their use of a wheelchair may be a temporary situation that follows planned surgery or unplanned injuries, or it may be a permanent, life-altering change.
Unfortunately, most of the people who leave hospitals in wheelchairs are completely unprepared for maneuvering in the world in an entirely new way. Physically-challenged individuals will encounter many physical and emotional difficulties. It is an incredibly stressful time as the newly disabled individual adjusts to the changes of his or her body.
The stress of this time period is often compounded by a lack of sensitivity to accessibility issues in the physically disabled person's home. Here is just a sampling of stories that reveal the unexpected difficulties faced by those in wheelchairs.
-Mrs. H is an obese woman planning surgery. She knows that her house is built to ADA (American Disability Act) specifications. Its only one story and she feels confident about her return home. However, she requires an extra wide wheelchair after surgery. On returning home she is astounded to find that she can't maneuver easily through the doorways in her house simply because they are too narrow and the entrance ramp is too steep. The ADA accessibility guidelines are not adequate for extra wide wheelchairs.
-Young M.B. is a newly physically disabled boy. His family has remodeled the house according to ADA accessibility guidelines because they want M.B. to be as independent as possible. When he returns home from the hospital they find that there are still many little things that are terribly frustrating for M.B.: door and cabinet handles at wrong heights, shelves that are unreachable from the angle his wheelchair requires, tight turns that take forever to maneuver, carpeting that is too thick and slows his wheelchair down, etc. etc.
-Mr. K has a wonderful family who picks him up from the hospital and drives him home. They then maneuver him out of the car and get him into his wheelchair. At this point they realize this is more difficult than they expected and they simply won't be able to make it up the 12 steps to get inside the house. Mr. K then sits outside for many hours while his kind family attempts to find help to carry him up the stairs.
There are many more stories of individuals who return home from the hospital bound to wheelchairs and find that life is more difficult than it needs to be because of accessibility obstacles. Any person coming home in a wheelchair would benefit from the services of accessibility consulting companies such as MedAccess, Inc.
MedAccess, Inc. is an innovative company located in western North Carolina. They recognized an unmet need in the aging and disabled population. In response, MedAccess, Inc. began supplying individualized on-site consultations regarding home and office accessibility for the physically disabled. This company is able to make detailed recommendations specific to each person's situations. If desired, MedAccess can also refer clients to excellent remodeling companies that will alter the home following the individualized accessibility recommendations.
If you or your family member is newly wheelchair-bound, keep in mind that home adjustments are absolutely necessary and the ADA specifications are rarely enough. Even minor environmental changes can have a huge impact on quality of life. Utilizing a home and office accessibility company like MedAccess, Inc. can make life easier. Look for an accessibility consulting company in your area or contact MedAccess, Inc. here for further guidance on this important issue.
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