disabled

The layout and design of a wheelchair accessible kitchen is important to maximise independence and health and wellbeing for a disabled person, their family and personal assistants. The specification of the units, cooking facilities and the space available requires careful planning to ensure the kitchen is functional and can be easily and safely accessed.

#Design considerations

The kitchen should be on the entrance storey, with a convenient relationship between the dining area and living space. The kitchen and dining areas should be combined or directly connected, to enable a wheelchair user to easily carry food and drinks between the two. #Layouts

The kitchen should be designed to incorporate a continuous section of worktop, appliances and units. Careful consideration should be given to the positioning of doors and windows so as to optimise the continuous working area and circulation space. Adequate full height wall space should be provided to accommodate wall units, tall units, a hob and extractor fan and appliances, including the oven housing, fridge, freezer and storage. The kitchen may be used by a wheelchair user, family members or personal assistants and should be designed to provide flexibility for concurrent use by more than one person. The layout should maximise the range of operations possible from a single position, to enable a wheelchair user to carry out activities without the need for excessive manoeuvring or repositioning. Sufficient space should also be available for a wheelchair user to turn and manoeuvre between appliances and units. An effective layout enables: ● ease of approach and use ● a convenient relationship between essential activities ● avoidance of disruptive sequencing.

The oven, hob, sink and adequate space for food preparation should be located on the same run of worktop to create a safe and useable working area. A straight, L-shaped or U-shaped run enables a wheelchair user to slide or push a hot dish from the oven and hob to the sink. A wheelchair user should not have to lift or carry hot or heavy items from one side of the kitchen to another across an open space or across a doorway. Any doors to and from the kitchen should not interrupt the continuous worktop run which houses the oven, hob and sink. The layout should avoid compromising working areas with cross routes.

#Height adjustable worktop

The hob, sink and food preparation area should be provided on a single section of height adjustable worktop with clear leg space underneath.

The height adjustable worktop brackets should not have diagonal struts that compromise the clear leg space below. This clear space should not be used for storage of appliances, bins or moveable furniture.

The height adjustable section could either be provided as a rise and fall worktop or as a fixed worktop, capable of being easily re-fixed at alternative heights. Early consideration should be given to this choice, as an additional depth of worktop may be required for the positioning of services, so that service outlets do not compromise clear leg space under the worktop. Outlets from the sink, washing machine and dishwasher should drain effectively with the worktop in a lowered position. A wheelchair user should be able to wheel forward far enough to reach and use the worktop, sink and wall sockets. If a front fascia is provided, this should not compromise the height of the clear leg space.

#Sink

The sink should be shallow enough to provide leg space underneath. Waste traps should preferably be to the rear of the bowl and the underside of the sink should be insulated to protect the wheelchair user’s legs. All exposed plumbing and pipework should be covered by a removable access panel or door to allow for maintenance, without compromising the depth of clear leg space.

A mixer tap with lever handle(s) should be provided to allow easy control of water temperature, flow and direction. A swivel arm tap of sufficient height and radius, such as a ‘swan neck’ type, allows the filling of a pot, pan or kettle on the adjacent drainer or work surface. Tap controls can be mounted on the front fascia of the worktop for easy reach.

#Kitchen units and storage

Storage provision is often insufficient in a wheelchair accessible kitchen as it is reduced when base units are omitted to provide clear leg space under the sink, hob and preparation areas. Sufficient storage space should therefore be provided to accommodate items such as food supplies, pans, crockery, cutlery and utensils, in addition to integral space provided for accessible refuse and recycling. A wheelchair user may not be able to reach storage that is too high or too low. Where storage is likely to be beyond easy reach, an accessible solution could be incorporated. Accessible solutions may include internal pull out/down shelves or baskets, carousels and pull out larders. Alternatively, this out-of-reach storage could be used for items that do not require frequent use or which could be accessed by other household members. Tall wall units, while not fully accessible, increase the overall storage capacity of the kitchen. Moveable base units on wheels do not provide suitable storage as they can be heavy when full and are likely to be difficult to use and manoeuvre.

The provision of wall units and storage should be maximised where possible. While the upper shelves of standard wall units may be inaccessible to many wheelchair users, there are options that can be considered to improve access: ● wall units can be fitted at a lower height ● wall units can be fitted with robust pull down baskets ● electric rise and fall wall units can be provided. When considering base unit provision, the inclusion of drawers rather than a hinged base unit door, can reduce the need to bend and reach into the back of the cupboard. Cupboard and drawer handles should be easy to grip for a person with reduced dexterity, have no sharp edges and be positioned to maximise ease of use. When fitting out a wheelchair accessible kitchen, kitchen units should be robust and durable enough to withstand the extra knocks and scrapes that can occur while manoeuvring a wheelchair. Plinths under base units can also reduce dirt accumulation in spaces where a wheelchair user may not be able to clean effectively.

#Appliances

The choice of appliances and their location can impact the overall kitchen usability and should be considered from the outset. The direction in which the appliance doors open can also affect the ease of access and use and the ability to transfer items. Freestanding appliances can be deeper than integrated appliances. This should be taken into account when specifying the depth of the worktop or allocated space to avoid appliances protruding beyond the edge of the worktop and causing an obstruction. Additional width may also be required to ensure that appliance doors can open fully without being obstructed by adjacent appliances or units.

#Oven

The oven should be built into a tall housing unit and set at an appropriate height for the oven door to open safely above a wheelchair user’s knees without touching them. There should be sufficient work surface to the side of the oven to safely transfer a hot tray or grill pan. To assist oven use, a robust, heat resistant pull out shelf should be provided beneath the oven. The oven should be provided with either a side hung door or a pull down door that slides away into the base of the oven. The latter is the preferred option as it allows for safer and easier use of the oven. If a side hung door is provided, it should be hinged to open away from the adjacent worktop, so dishes can be transferred directly onto the worktop without the oven door creating an obstruction. Ovens with a pull down door that does not slide away beneath the oven should be avoided as the door acts as a barrier between a wheelchair user and the oven. A wheelchair user risks sustaining burns while reaching over the door to lift food out with extended arms. Freestanding ovens and ovens built into units under the worktop should also be avoided, as they increase the risk of accidents and burns when reaching and lifting from a low level. Internal oven shelves should be on telescopic runners, to prevent shelves tipping or falling out when extended. Oven controls should allow for ease of use with reduced hand function or dexterity.

#Hob

A hob that is fitted flush into the worktop to avoid or reduce lips or upstands provides the most suitable solution. This enables a wheelchair user to slide pans across the worktop and hob, which can reduce the risk of accidents. Controls should be positioned to the front of the hob to allow ease of access and unhindered sliding of pans to the side. Gas hobs should not be provided as they can increase the risk of accidents, spills or burns due to their live flame, burners and raised metal pan supports. Induction hobs can provide the following benefits: ● safer to use as the hob remains cooler and reduces the risks of burns ● temperature adjustment is responsive ● if no pan is detected the hob will switch off ● low profile edges enable easier transferring of pans ● easier to clean.