Life on Wheels (90 page)

Most floors in a home are carpeted. A thick pile carpet on a soft under-mat is very difficult to wheel on and will fatigue you quickly. For power chairs, thicker carpet puts more demand on the motors and, so, uses up the batteries. It is more difficult to wheel in a straight line on thick carpeting, which forces you to constantly make adjustments with each wheel as you go. You will not coast very far either, which requires you to push the wheels many more times. Since you tend to repeatedly travel the same paths in your home, a thicker surface will develop visible tracks:

Carpets with tight weaves provide better rollability. A pad underneath the carpet is not usually necessary but, if required, comes in thinner profiles. Some people have installed industrial-grade carpeting in their home, designed for public environments like offices.

Many homes use large rugs over a wood floor. Rugs are unfriendly to wheelchairs and can get twisted up in the front casters. A rug can be secured with Velcro. If you are placing a rug over carpeting, you will need only the half of the Velcro with the hooks, attached to the underside of the rug. Velcro strips in various widths with a sticky backing are available in rolls from office supply stores.

Hard floors are very easy to roll on. For wood floors, make sure no nails or screws are coming up from the surface that could threaten a tire. Look for wood splinters that could puncture a tire or get caught in the wheel—and then in your hand. Stone or ceramic tile can be very bouncy to wheel on. Deep spaces between tiles are usually the source of a bumpy ride, though the tiles themselves can be made with an uneven surface. The spaces between should not be too wide, and the grout that fills these spaces should be close to the top level of the tile for a smooth wheeling surface.

Floors need to be level. It doesn’t take much slope for you to begin to roll downhill. Frankly, it is hard for builders to get all floors perfectly level, and a building inevitably settles a bit over time. If an existing house has noticeably sloping floors, however, check for problems with the foundation. If you are going to use a very heavy power chair, that is all the more reason to ensure the structural integrity of your building. If you are building something new, you should strongly emphasize this point with the building contractor.

Natural light contributes to quality of life in the home. Windows also help maintain contact with the outside world. You can look out to see what might have caused a sound or see who is asking for entry into your home. Using operable windows for ventilation is an efficient way to manage temperature and is the best way to get fresh air throughout the home and circulate impurities out of the air.

What if you are adapting an existing home? Even if adding or changing windows is beyond your budget, you can orient furniture—particularly the bed—so that there are views to the outside. You can add landscaping to make the view more appealing or trim branches to let in more light.

There are different types of windows:

Casement windows open toward the outside by turning a crank. Casements are easier to open than other types and are more likely to open enough for an emergency escape. Handles can be found for the crank that are large and easier to grasp.

Vertical sliding sash windows are common in homes. Because of their weight and the force required, opening them usually requires two hands and considerable upper-body strength and balance. The latch is usually at the top of the lower sash, often out of reach from the sitting position. Some products locate the latch at the sill.

Horizontal sliding sash windows cannot unexpectedly close due to gravity and are easy to open. They usually are designed with a lip that runs the entire vertical edge of the moving window, offering variety in where to push or pull. They come with different kinds of latches, some of which are spring loaded, placed high, and require pinch force—a difficult-to-use design. A simple latch placed at the bottom that is easily lifted and stays in place is best and commonly found. Only one half of the total window width can be open; this might not leave sufficient room for escape in an emergency.

As with doors, remote window openers are available for many of these types of windows, depending on the brand and design.

Do not place rough textures on areas of wall that you are likely to touch, such as plastered surfaces that are laid on with a decorative texture or some wallpapers such as grasscloth. These surfaces are often rough enough to injure your hand if you slide your hand across the surface or need the wall for sudden support.

When turning a corner in a manual wheelchair, it is much easier to make the turn by placing your hand on a wall, rather than grasping one wheel while you push the other. The same is sometimes true for going through doors: placing a hand on the wall as you pull the door open can make it easier. Unfortunately, that means that, each time, you will leave a little bit of oil and dirt from your skin on the wall. This eventually starts to show as a dark area. Choose wall coverings that are easily cleaned and that don’t show dirt as well. Glossy rather than matte-finish paints tend to be easier to clean. Small plastic shields can be attached to walls where they are commonly touched and can be replaced more easily than the paint or wall paper.

When a circulation path passes close to a wall, it is more likely to be bumped or scraped by a wheelchair, no matter how skilled the rider. Wainscoting with wood or with vinyl or plastic covers protects the underlying wall surface and can be attractive.

Just because you are a wheelchair user doesn’t mean that you will always stay in the chair. Many chair riders are able to easily transfer to furniture—and want to. It can be a real relief to get out of the chair.

Be conscious of the surface you choose to sit on. Just because it is soft, doesn’t mean that it will provide appropriate support for the prevention of pressure sores. The foam in some upholstery is soft enough to compress almost all the way, resulting in focused pressure on your skin. You might supplement a chair or couch in the home with a foam pad, a piece of lamb’s wool, or the cushion from your wheelchair. To facilitate cleaning, or to rearrange furniture for the great party you’re throwing, chairs and sofas can be equipped with caster wheels. Include two that can be locked so they won’t roll out from under you during a transfer.

Knee and foot clearance at tables are key issues. A central support for the table is more likely to be in the way of your feet when you sit on the side of the table, or a central base could be large and thick enough to block your front wheels from going as far forward as you need to sit close. Many dining room tables include a skirt around the edge that might be low enough to keep your knees from going under the table. Tables sometimes come with extra leaves to extend the end of the table. The extra leaves hang out over the edge and often allow that extra inch or two of clearance for your knees or feet. This explains why chair users so often find themselves sitting at the head of the table as a dinner guest:

Stacking tables and folding chairs, such as director’s chairs, can be kept aside for clearance and then used for company. Coffee tables that go in front of a couch are an obstruction, both to travel within the room and to your ability to transfer to the couch.

I have friends with two couches and a large table in between. If there are other guests while I’m there, I simply cannot get into the rest of the house. No room left to pass.

When you are considering lighting, think about being able to reach and operate switches and being able to change bulbs. Typically, room light switches are located just inside the door. The placement of a switch might be too high or require a degree of dexterity beyond your ability. When you are unable to reach a switch, a noise-actuated switch can be installed that responds to a clap or a loud vocal sound. Unfortunately, these switches sometimes respond to sounds when you don’t want them to, turning a light on as you sleep or leaving you in the dark prematurely. A more costly approach is to literally move the light switch down, cutting a new hole, and filling the old one.

Of the many types of light switches, rockers and push buttons take the least dexterity, involving no gripping or pinching. Thumb wheels, rotary knobs, and slide bars are generally more difficult. Figure 7-6 shows various types of controls ranked by the difficulty of operating them.

A remotecontrol unit is a reliable solution for people with limited hand dexterity. These systems usually involve no electrical rewiring; there is a small unit that you plug into the power line and then program the remote control to recognize it.

The design of a fixture might prevent you from changing a light bulb. Many lights require that you pinch a small set screw to remove a hood or globe to access the bulb. A lampshade might have been replaced too tightly by a friend or family member to be removed. Some attention to detail can make a big difference in independence. Multiple light sources, fixtures with two bulbs, and a backup desk lamp help ensure you won’t get left in the dark. Ceiling fixtures can be found equipped with retractable cables so that you can bring them down for a bulb change; grabber arms can be handy.