Making your own living space barrier-free and wheelchair-accessible has become increasingly important in recent decades. Since the bedroom is also to be seen as a lounge, it seems all the more important to make it wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair users and people with disabilities spend more time in the bedroom than other people on average. They use the space next to sleeping to recover. In addition to a sufficiently large movement area, the right bed is important. This makes it safer and more comfortable for wheelchair users to live.
Accessible is not automatically wheelchair accessible
A barrier-free facility is not necessarily to be equated with wheelchair-accessible use. Under the Keyword “barrier-free living” all obstacle-free rooms that people can use without outside help are grouped together. This definition includes all people with disabilities, whether they use a wheelchair or not. The needs of older people or children with physical disabilities also belong to this category. The term “wheelchair accessible” appears in the DIN standards 18024 and 18025, as does accessibility. For wheelchair users, the general barrier-free requirements are supplemented by a few aspects. Here, all areas must be accessible with a wheelchair – in such a way that a wheelchair user can get by without outside help.
Note the optimal location, layout and size of the wheelchair-accessible bedroom
For people in electric or manual wheelchairs, the bedroom serves as a recreation room. If necessary, you can retreat here to regenerate your body from the everyday demands of everyday life. As well as the rest of the rooms in the apartment, it is appropriate to choose a bedroom with a straight cut, without cornered areas. In this way, wheelchair users minimize the risk of bumping into corners or injuring themselves in some other way. The passageways from the bedroom that lead to other areas of the apartment should be at least 80 centimeters wide. Only then can they be used by all wheelchair users, regardless of the model.
Basically, the bedroom should be spacious – at least 18 square meters when talking about a single bed. For a wheelchair-accessible bedroom with a double bed with electric slatted frame that www.lattenrost-meister.de can be found, a room size of more than 20 square meters has a significantly more advantageous effect. In a straight room, a minimum length of 4.70 meters between two opposite walls must be observed. It is advisable to position the furniture in such a way that wheelchair users can reach it from all sides without restriction. This works best when the headboard of the bed is against the longer wall and the wardrobe is opposite the bed. In a barrier-free bedroom, the movement areas are still crucial. This includes all connected, unobstructed floor areas on which wheelchair users can move (move) unhindered. These movement areas along the bed entry side are at least 150 centimeters deep for wheelchair users. All other movement areas in the room, especially in front of cupboards and chests of drawers, should be at least 90, but ideally 120 centimeters deep. Only with these dimensions is it possible for wheelchair users to turn freely in the room with the wheelchair. Under no circumstances should radiators, pipes or doors restrict the functional areas of movement.
In principle, it is not specified in which part of the apartment the bedroom is located. However, it makes sense to choose a room near the sanitary facilities as a bedroom. In this way, the wheelchair user does not cover any unnecessary distances on the way to the bathroom.
Proper bed, mattress and slatted frame in wheelchair accessible bedroom
For wheelchair users, a comfortable bed goes hand in hand with an anatomically correct lying height. The lying surface is to be designed in such a way that the wheelchair user can lie down and stand up comfortably. The bed should therefore not be higher than 55 centimeters, including all cushions. However, it is individually advisable to use certain uprighting aids in order to then adopt the correct posture in the wheelchair. In terms of design, an open bed that is accessible from several sides is more suitable than a closed bed with additional bars and frames.
On the one hand, wheelchair users can get into their wheelchair more comfortably with such a bed. On the other hand, it makes the work of nurses and doctors easier in the event of an emergency. Equipping the sleeping area with all the important things is just as important as the design of the bed. A wheelchair user should be able to operate the light switch from the bed and set the television program if necessary. It is just as important for him to be able to reach the phone or the house emergency number from his bed in certain situations.
Wheelchair users can only sleep properly on an anatomically correct mattress. Preferably on a so-called allergy mattress, which keeps house dust mites away and is non-irritating. Mattresses made of latex, cold foam or viscose adapt well to individual needs. Due to their breathable nature, cold foam mattresses are suitable for people who sweat a lot at night. Viscose foam mattresses adapt to the individual body contours. On the one hand, they relieve the body, but return to their original shape with a time delay. Latex has a comparatively high dead weight, but can be used as an elastic and flexible mattress.
Electric and height-adjustable slatted frames are ideal for the slatted frames that lie under the mattress. They can be optimally aligned at the foot and head end to lie higher or lower in bed.
Set up light and technology in the wheelchair-accessible bedroom
A wheelchair-accessible bedroom cannot do without a certain form of technology. A telephone connection should be available as well as a television connection. A large number of sockets are required to set up these technical devices. These sockets are ideally at least 85 centimeters high and protrude 50 centimeters. In this way, therapeutic devices can be easily inserted into the sockets. The light switches and other control elements should correspond to the “two-senses principle” and stand out in color in the room. This makes it easier for the user to perceive them in the harmonious sleeping environment and to operate them effortlessly. It makes sense to introduce an acoustic, visual or mechanical function. It informs that the control element has fulfilled its intended function.
The light in the wheelchair-accessible bedroom is neither too bright nor too inconspicuous. The room as such is illuminated with several light sources at least 85 centimeters high, which make tripping hazards recognizable in good time. This reduces the risk of falling. At the same time, the glare-free light is a good help to avoid getting lost when going to the toilet at night.
07/27/2022