Home Remodeling for Accessibility: A Success Story

This is the second of three articles on how to remodel your home for greater accessibility. The first article in this series focuses on the first stage—how to plan accessible renovations. This second article features a renovation success story about a real-life remodel undertaken by Jody and Drew Yarborough, a Californian couple who renovated their Silicon Valley home to make it more accessible, functional, and attractive. Article three focuses on finding ways to finance your renovation.

Tips to Make Accessible Renovations a Success

In part one of this series on renovating homes to make them more accessible, I introduced you to my friends Andrew and Jody Yarborough. They’re an active and engaging couple with many friends and interests. Jody and Drew live in a lovely Silicon Valley home with their big, beautiful Golden Retriever. The Yarboroughs both have disabilities that impact their mobility. To make their home more comfortable and functional and easier to navigate, they undertook a number of home improvements.

Being longtime advocates of disability rights and awareness, Drew and Jody have hundreds of friends with disabilities. While preparing to improve their home, they discussed renovating for accessibility with many friends and colleagues over the course of years. As a result of their experience, research, and insider knowledge, they’re a terrific resource for tips and insights into successful home remodeling for greater accessibility. Here are practical tips, warnings, and suggestions from Drew and Jody on how to make accessible renovations work best for you.

Accessibility Can Be Stylish

Jody and Drew appreciate art and beautiful design, and the aesthetics of their home are important to them. Jody said they wanted to avoid what she jokingly referred to as “institutional chic.” She didn’t want a group-home aesthetic where adaptive technologies like ramps and grab bars look rugged, industrial, and obvious. The Yarboroughs want their adaptive tech to be seamless and attractive so that it blends into the background.

Drew and Jody installed grab bars in a few places, and chose some with a “nice design curve” to them. But they opted to skip them in the guest bathroom. They don’t want to make a big deal out of adaptive technology. Jody and Drew say, “We didn’t want it to look like a ‘short people’s home.’” And it doesn’t have that vibe—it just feels attractive, spacious, and comfortable. The most successful accessible renovations are the ones that make your home look better as well as feel better.

Pocket Doors Are Terrific

Doors that block access when opening into a hallway or into a room are a giant pain for someone using a walker, cane, or other mobility aid. That’s why Drew and Jody added sliding pocket doors wherever they could. Doors that slide inside walls instead of opening inward or outward are great for bathroom entrances, kitchens, and closets.

The Yarboroughs warn that you should never skimp on quality with pocket doors. Get high-quality doors with good inner-wall hardware. If cheap hardware fails inside a wall, doors can become stuck. Removing them is expensive and difficult—Jody and Drew once had to remove plaster and framing to get a bad door out.

Adding pocket doors can be expensive if a wall or doorway needs to be reframed. And sometimes it’s impossible if a wall contains ducts, load-bearing posts, or electrical wiring that’s hard or expensive to move. If you can, add your pocket doors during a larger renovation. Then you don’t have to rip out walls or reframe to add them later.

Eliminate or Widen Hallways Where Possible

Drew and Jody created 48”-wide passages wherever they could. This makes maneuvering around each other or turning in a wheelchair easier. But some floorplans don’t allow for such wide hallways, and parts of their house wouldn’t allow that much space. So Jody and Drew got creative. Your own accessible renovations might include pocket doors, bifold doors, sliding doors, or other access points that don’t swing in and out of hallways and rooms, which can cause bottlenecks or make maneuvering tricky.

For years, Drew’s wheelchair often bumped a corner at the end of a hallway where he had to make a sharp turn from the living room. Jody and Drew’s contractor offered a solution that eliminated that obstacle. He asked them, “Why not move the furnace up into the attic and out of the closet at the end of the hallway?” They followed his suggestion and gained floorspace. That made the entry to the hallway wider and easier to enter, and Drew stopped bumping the wall. Moving it out of the way didn’t cost a lot, and the change makes every day a little nicer for them.

Safe and Easy Bathroom Access Is Essential

The accessibility of a space isn’t just determined by ability to enter it. Accommodation needs to be considered in all areas, especially bathrooms. Prior to their renovation, the Yarboroughs had only moderately adequate access to their two small bathrooms. They learned to make the existing floorplan work for them, even with its challenges, but dreamed of having a fully accessible master bath, complete with a roll-in shower. Drew and Jody say this modification was a major motivator in wanting to do their home remodel.

Since undergoing accessible renovations, Drew, Jody, and their guests can fully and easily access both bathrooms, which now provide improved comfort, privacy, and safety.

Beautiful, Functional, Accessible Kitchens

Although both Jody and Drew are little people—defined as people with heights below 4’ 10”—they’ve chosen not to make adaptations to every part of their home based on their height. However, in their kitchen, they did create a split-level counter and a low island. This way they can use their kitchen comfortably, but they can also accommodate taller family members and friends.

Drew cannot walk and needs his wheelchair to get around. Jody often uses a mobility scooter at home and outside, but she is ambulatory and does walk sometimes. They decided to leave their kitchen counter with its farmhouse sink at a standard height to make it easier for family, friends, or caregivers of average height or above to use them. Jody has a stool with legs that lock in place that she rolls up to the sink when she wants to wash dishes. Some people of short stature or who use wheelchairs find it makes sense to have their counters lowered and sinks installed where they can roll up and stay seated. Others split the difference, having counters at several heights.

It was important to Drew and Jody to have a kitchen where there was room for them to pass each other easily when going around their island. They like working side by side, and now most of the kitchen allows them to move around each other comfortably. Successful accessible renovations include considerations like navigational paths, avoiding crowding, and having plentiful space to spread out—in other words, having good “flow” throughout your home.

Custom appliances—are they worth it?

Adjustable-height counters do exist. Some have built-in cooktops that can be lowered to chair-height or brought up to average standing height. But these are expensive, and every additional moving part increases the likelihood of breakage or disrepair. That could make the whole thing unusable when it’s out of order.

Drew and Jody’s dishwasher and sink are closer to standard height. They split the difference since they entertain people of average height. That way, everyone can access the appliances. However, it’s a bit harder for Drew to access things at the very back of the dishwasher.

Accessible Storage Is Important

I asked about storage solutions for people with limited mobility. My friends say having an accessible refrigerator is important. So is having a space for food preparation that’s at the right height and accommodates a wheelchair. They installed cabinet slides in their kitchen and pantry so pots, dishes, and prepared food can slide all the way out of their cabinetry. They added 180-degree hinges that let cabinets open all the way and flatten against cabinets. That way, access isn’t impeded when they’re using a wheelchair.

Drew and Jody also installed an appliance garage that has a built-in lift for their heavy KitchenAid mixer. They can just swing it into place without having to pick up the whole mixer assembly.

Before their renovations, it was tough for more than one of them to be in the kitchen at the same time. Now they have extra space around their island. But even with improvements, a few spaces in their kitchen are a bit tight because of limitations to the floorplan.

Making peace with wasted space

Jody decided not long ago that she wanted to simplify their storage and make more of it accessible. She was tired of relying on others to reach into their upper storage cabinets for stuff. She and Drew moved a lot of their kitchen things into a butler’s pantry that they had built for them in their garage. Now they can access it themselves anytime. This left their upper kitchen cabinets empty, but they don’t mind, since the cabinets are attractive. However, some of their friends hate having wasted space that just gathers dust on top.

During her own accessible renovations, one of their friends removed all her upper cabinets, and she loves the airy openness of it. She figured there was no need to buy cabinets she’d never use just to make the kitchen look like everyone else’s. If she ever sells her house to people who want upper cabinets, she figures they can add their own!

Just as in any population, some people with disabilities don’t cook. They may not mind having a wall oven that’s too high. But having a microwave installed over the stovetop, as many homes do, can make it unusable for them. Even people who don’t cook use microwave ovens to reheat things regularly. So installing microwaves in islands or on lower shelves is common for people with disabilities.

High-Tech Lights and Locks Improve Safety

Drew says lighting has become more important to him as he’s gotten older. He and Jody have been adding more smart controls to allow for better lighting and easier adjustments to it. Smart lighting that allows you to use remotes or change lighting with a smartphone app adds convenience whether you have a disability or not.

Jody says adding smart locks is one of the best things they did as part of their accessible renovations. Keyless entries are popular universal design features that can benefit anyone. Smart locks allow remote opening or locking. With them, you can immediately turn off a smartphone access code if you have a caregiver who has been removed from service. Or you can add a code for a new person if you need someone to enter but can’t make it to the door.

These locks only cost about $50-100, and they add safety and convenience. Successful accessible renovations don’t have to be big enough to require a mortgage. Swapping in better versions of doors, lighting, locks, insulation, ramps, and accessible storage can sometimes make just as much of a difference as construction can.

Safe Flooring Makes a Huge Difference

According to Jody and Drew, carpeting is the bane of wheelchair users’ existence. Not only does it gather rain, dirt, and mud, and create extra bumps for wheelchair users—it can trip people using walkers, canes, or crutches. Carpet also creates “rolling resistance,” creating extra drag for power wheelchairs. This not only slows them down—it can also significantly shorten the life of the wheelchair battery. This can be dangerous, since batteries can run low or die suddenly, leaving a person stranded. It might happen on a neighborhood sidewalk, or in the middle of a downtown crosswalk. I’ve been with Drew when his battery died without warning—such outages really leave wheelchair users in the lurch.

Traction is your friend

Choose bathroom tile that stays grippy when wet. Using small, natural stone tiles with lots of grout between them makes it easier for feet to grip them. Grout creates traction. Larger, overly smooth ceramic or stone tiles with too little grout may make slipping more likely—a touch of texture is a good thing.

Tips to Make Working from Home Easier

Improve connectivity and provide ample outlets

Drew and Jody’s work requires excellent internet connectivity. They also need accessible charging areas for their mobility aids at various locations around the house and garage. They avoid having lots of cables or power strips that could get snagged or run over by a wheelchair. When renovating, they made sure they had sufficient electrical power and plenty of outlets at convenient heights, and they installed networking soffits.

Put it on wheels

Jody and Drew use one room as both an office and a guest room. To make transitional spaces that adapt for multiple uses, they use lots of carts. Jody recommends that people with mobility challenges “put as many things on wheels as logically makes sense.” She and Drew find that using a wheeled cart for the guest room computer works great for them. They can slide the computer cart out when necessary, and pull down their fold-away Murphy bed for an instant room makeover.

The Yarboroughs say, “We have a crazy number of wheels in this house.” They put their TV, entertainment center, and desks on wheels to make their home more flexible. Wheels let them move furniture around at a moment’s notice. Jody says that making as many things mobile as they can helps, because “we’re not lifting it, and we want to be as independent as possible.” Wheels give them freedom of movement, as well as safety and convenience.

Careful Planning Avoids Regrets

Jody and Drew prepared carefully, did their research, and communicated well with their contractor. As a result, they had a very successful renovation experience, and don’t have big regrets. They just wish they’d undertaken their accessible renovations sooner. But if they could, they’d do a few things a little differently. Jody says they rarely use the whirlpool tub they thought would be so handy. It turns out, the time it takes to fill, the amount of water it uses, and the required maintenance and upkeep make it impractical.

They also regret getting a drawer dishwasher. They say it is easier for them to access than a standard dishwasher, and they have other friends who love theirs. However, the drawer dishwasher’s capacity is smaller, so they can’t fit pots and pans in it, and that’s important to them.

Because they have a fluffy dog, Alton, they also wish they’d installed a central vacuuming system. Alton sheds a lot, so vacuuming is a frequent and important chore at their house. Corded appliances like vacuum cleaners get caught in wheels or wrap around things. A central vacuum has no canister or cords to get caught in scooter or wheelchair wheels. Some even let sweep dirt right into the kick plate.

The Disability Community’s “Forced Ingenuity”

Jody described the creativity and independence that people with disabilities develop as “forced ingenuity.” Especially if someone is the only person with a disability in the family, that person needs to be creative in ways that people without disabilities never have to think about to get basic needs met.

For example, Drew has often been unable to enter buildings that had no accessible entrances, despite requirements set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Even when Drew and Jody ask about accessibility before they go to visit a friend, a restaurant, or a theater, they often find impediments once they arrive. People with wheelchairs often keep a large board in their modified vans to use as makeshift ramps. They carry extra chargers and batteries in case wheelchairs run out of power at awkward times or places. They find out ahead of time where and how to find places to get cash, charge their assistive equipment, use bathrooms, or find food, since not every place will accommodate them.

Jody says, “One of the things I love about the disability community is their creativity and ingenuity. We talk with each other about ways to do new things to make a functional space—things that might have to work for you alone.” She says that creative, ingenious, accessible design lets people with disabilities feel like their spaces are at last fully accessible and right for them. As she says, “People with disabilities should feel at home, too.”

Was It All Worth the Effort and Expense?

Definitely. While some might feel that the money, work, and time it takes to make a house more accessible is more than they want to attempt, Drew and Jody feel the effort was all worth it for them. They were able to remake the house they know and love in the ways they most needed.

As Jody and Drew say, “Very few places are as comfortable as our home.” They spent many years having to work around their home’s limitations, taking more time to do things, and requiring more assistance to take care of basic tasks. But now, they can cook, bathe, navigate their home, work, play with their dog, store their things, and get in and out comfortably and safely. As Drew and Jody put it, “You can’t really put a figure on that.”

Can’t afford accessible renovations for your home? See part three of this series on home remodeling for accessibility, Home Remodeling for Accessibility, Part 3: Financing Your Remodel. It features tips on finding financing for your remodel, including loans, grants, and donated labor.

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Finding a contractor with experience making accessible renovations significantly improves the likelihood that your own experience will be a success | Mikael Blomkvist for Pexels