Kitchen Remodeling

You may not have to face the expense and stress of remodeling—first check out some of the tricks described below. One of them may open up your kitchen for you. Whatever your situation is, whether your physical agility has changed or you've just moved to an inaccessible space, these tips can help:

• If you have a wheelchair, the doorway must be a minimum of 36 inches wide—measure the width of your chair so you'll know what you have. Rather than paying for a new doorway to be cut and rebuilt, remove the door and its hinges, molding or threshold.
  
  
• If you want to keep the door to the kitchen, buy Swing Clear® hinges at your hardware store. They will give you a couple more inches of room. (See resources at the end of this section.)
  
  
• If the only way into the kitchen is up or down stairs, it may be possible to ramp it if it's not too steep.
  
  
• Electrical outlets and light switches can be easily relocated by an electrician and lighting can be enhanced by adding track or overhead fixtures, or a portable desk lamp on the counter.
  
  
• Since cabinets are expensive to replace, removing a cabinet door below the sink or counter will provide knee space so you can work from a seated position. Just remember to insulate the pipes below the sink to prevent scalding legs. Store cabinet doors in a safe place with their hardware taped to them.
  
  
• Use turntables inside cabinets to give you access to the whole cabinet. A simple Rubbermaid disk that turns is only a couple of dollars.
  
  
• It may be necessary to replace the cabinets with lower ones. Although costly, this may be all you need to make the kitchen useable. Vertically adjustable models can be raised and lowered; roll-out shelves are much more useful within any cabinet.
  
  
• If you are going to replace your cabinets, the new ones should be placed high enough to allow toe space for wheelchair footrests. Cabinets may also be reinstalled higher to accommodate someone tall or unable to bend down.
  
  
• A cook-top range is the most versatile option, especially when the space below is kept free for leg space, rather than putting a cabinet there to store pots and pans. Be sure to see Kitchen Accessibility Basics, as well as Large Appliances Update

Resources
Auton Company
http://www.auton.com
Above counter shelving system that moves up and down and other motorized products.

Clairson International Closet Maid
http://www.closetmaid.com
Modified storage systems, cabinet organization and slide-out baskets.

KraftMaid Kitchens
http://www.kraftmaid.com
Makers of adaptable counters and cabinets.

Dwyer Products
http://www.dwyerkitchens.com/DwyerWeb/showroom/ADAKitchens.html
Makers of accessible compact kitchen units.

LIFESPEC Cabinet Systems
http://www.lifespec.com
Adaptable and accessible kitchen cabinet systems in adjustable heights.

Rubbermaid
http://www.rubbermaid.com
Complete line of useful, rubber products for the kitchen

Stanley Hardware
http://www.stanleyworks.com
Door hinges that allow wider doorway access.

Swing Clear Hinges
http://www.accessibleenvironments.net/homepage.htm