Organizing your home to be more accessible
Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month?
It started out as a day of celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) becoming law in 1990, but it now spans the full month of July in order to recognize the history and achievements of the disability community. Although we still have a ways to go in this country when it comes to accessibility and disability inclusivity, the ADA was an important step forward in making it possible for people with disabilities to occupy their rightful place in society.
In honor of Disability Pride Month, here are some ways you can organize your home to be more accessible!
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Declutter and minimize
Getting rid of unnecessary items and furniture makes it easier to move around your home. Plus, it will be easier to find things you’re looking for.
Install pull-out shelves for lower cabinets
This client was so happy she no longer has to crouch down and shuffle her pots and pans around to find the one she wants! There are tons of options out there, but I prefer the solid pull-out shelves over the wire kind.
Let go of things being “hidden and pretty”
For many people, (especially those with ADHD) if they can’t see something, it might as well not exist. Instead of storing things out of sight in baskets and boxes for aesthetic reasons, embrace solutions like pegboards, hooks, and clear containers.
Pick up a closet hook or a grabber to help you reach things that are up high
Someone suggested these grabbers to me when I was pregnant and having trouble bending to get things off the floor. I still use them even now — they’re helpful for reaching things up high since I’m short.
This closet hook is helpful if you have trouble reaching the top rack of your closet.
Invest in some Lazy Susans/turntables
These make it easier to reach things in awkward corners or in the back of cabinets.
Other solutions
Garage pull down racks not only free up floor or wall space in your garage, they also make it easy to access heavy or bulky items you don’t use a lot.
Improving the accessibility of your home can benefit not just yourself, but anyone who visits your home! Whether you have an injury, mobility issues, or even if you’re just short in stature, making it easier to get around and interact with your home is totally worth it.
If you’d like to learn more about disability justice, make sure to check out my husband’s amazing organization, New Disabled South!
P.S. something we can all do to make the Internet more accessible is add image descriptions to our social media posts! It only takes a few minutes but makes a huge difference to people who use screen readers. I haven’t been consistent with doing them myself, but I’m committing to it going forward.