How To Retrofit a Home for Accessibility

Retrofitting a home for accessibility can improve the comfort and independence of individuals with mobility challenges. This process involves making strategic modifications to various areas of the house, from entryways to bathrooms, to accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices. This Old House host Kevin O’Connor and Rick Castino from Operation Independence demonstrate the key steps in remodeling a home for a wheelchair-enabled homeowner in the above video.

Pro Tip: According to This Old House Magazine, architect Sandra Jahnes specified 36-inch-wide doorways, 5-foot-wide hallways, curbless showers, and zero-clearance thresholds throughout the primary living areas of the Lexington project house to ensure ease of passage with or without a wheelchair. For multi-level access, the family opted for a hydraulic elevator—a choice quieter and more compact than an overhead-cable-drive elevator—underscoring how complexity and equipment choices can significantly drive up the cost of an accessibility retrofit.

Assessing Accessibility Needs

Before beginning any modifications, evaluate the specific needs of the homeowner and identify areas that require improvement. Meet with the homeowner and their physical therapist to determine which rooms need alterations.

1. Identify the best entryway into the house. A two-car garage offers ample room to enter and exit and maneuver a wheelchair, especially during inclement weather.
2. Walk through the house and look for steps and other obstructions that lead from one room to another.
3. Measure all doorways and make note of any that need expansion to accommodate a wheelchair.
4. When evaluating the bathroom, take into account all wheelchair obstacles, including tubs, showers, vanities, and partition walls.

Identifying Key Areas for Modification

As you walk through the house, look for these potential obstacles:

• Flooring materials, such as bumps and cracks, that may impede wheelchair movement
• Hard-to-navigate kitchen layout and high cabinets
• Inaccessible bathroom fixtures
• Narrow doorways
• Steps and thresholds between rooms

Pro Tip: When evaluating bathroom accessibility, pay special attention to fixtures and how they operate. Accessibility consultant Dennis recommends using the “closed fist test”—if you can operate a fixture with a closed fist, it qualifies as accessible. Traditional twist-type faucets are difficult for many people with limited mobility, while lever-style handles pass the test easily. Also assess shower entry: a standard shower curb of 3 to 4 inches can be very difficult for someone in a wheelchair to cross, and may need to be replaced with a curbless or water-dam threshold that allows a wheelchair to roll in.

Ideas for Retrofitting a Home for Accessibility

Here are a few ways you can retrofit a home for increased accessibility:

• Build wood ramps or install steel ramps to provide access at all steps. Wheelchair ramps must be one foot long for each inch in height, so a 9-inch-high step would require a 9-foot-long ramp.
• Consider installing an automated stair chair or battery-powered stair chair along the staircase leading from the main living area to the second floor.
• Convert the bathroom space by installing a standard tub with a curbless, barrier-free shower stall.
• Install a slide-bar showerhead with a handheld sprayer or an adjustable fixed showerhead.
• Modify the existing vanity to allow the wheelchair to roll beneath the bath sink.
• Mount offset hinges onto the bathroom door to provide additional clearance into the bathroom.
• Nail solid-wood blocking between the wall studs in the bathroom to provide support for grab bars. Double-duty grab bars are also available, including ones that serve as a towel rack, soap dish, and toilet-paper holder.
• Replace the existing bathroom floor with slip-resistant porcelain tile.

Pro Tip: Rather than treating a wheelchair ramp as a purely functional addition, architect and certified aging-in-place specialist Doug Walter recommends integrating it with other outdoor structures. His approach incorporates a wood-composite ramp that starts at ground level and coils up and around a deck structure like a grand, sweeping staircase—making the ramp a design element rather than an eyesore at the entry.

Additional Considerations for Accessibility

In addition to the steps outlined in the above video, consider improving lighting and installing smart home technology.

• Lighting improvements: Enhance visibility throughout the home by installing motion sensor lights in hallways and along staircases, adding under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, and positioning all light switches in an easy-to-reach area.
• Smart home technology: Incorporate voice-activated or smartphone-controlled systems for door locks, lighting, thermostats, and window treatments to prevent excessive movement around the home.

Pro Tip: When the Lexington homeowners featured in This Old House Magazine researched home automation for their accessibility retrofit, they found that technology could be layered over time. Their plan started with motorized doors on key entries—including the bedroom and patio—operated by pushing a button, and app-based lighting control throughout the home. Their long-term goal was to integrate voice activation using whole-house sensors, proving that smart home accessibility doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing investment.

Our Conclusion

Retrofitting a home for accessibility is a comprehensive process that requires careful planning and execution. By focusing on key areas, such as entryways, bathrooms, and interior mobility, homeowners can create a safe and comfortable environment that promotes independence.