Accessing cookware or preparing meals can be potentially hazardous if a loved one uses a wheelchair and cannot reach cookware or ingredients. Custom kitchen cabinets that contain accessible features and new appliances that are built into the design will give a handicapped individual their confidence back, plus will deter accidents from occurring.
Easy-Open and Streamlined Surfaces
Standard cabinetry tends to be elevated above appliances, making it necessary for someone to be standing when they would like to gather ingredients or put dishes away. Modified cabinets can be installed lower on a wall so that a person who is in a seated position will not need to strain in order to reach items that are stored inside of each storage space.
Doors that require little effort to open and close, smooth non-porous surfaces that are simple to clean, and extension shelving or racks that use a spring setup that will allow a user to lower each tier can be included in a custom cabinet's design. All custom cabinets can be manufactured out of a preferred material and can have beveling, glass, edging, and other decorative features added to each storage component.
Extra Space and Built-in Options
If you are aiding your handicapped loved one with their kitchen renovations, the amount of space that their wheelchair requires should be taken into account, to provide your family member with ample room to move through the kitchen, without catching a wheel on the corner of an appliance. Ovens, refrigerator units, and sinks that are lower in height than standard models can be built into a new group of cabinets.
Even tabletop appliances, which tend to clutter countertops, can be provided with their own built-in spaces, which will help keep the kitchen organized and easy to access. Cabinetry does not only include storage areas that have doors secured to the front side of each storage space. If your family member owns a decorative salt and pepper set that corresponds to the kitchen's overall theme or if they own a beautiful stemware collection, an open-cabinet design can be used for part of the setup.
With an open design, one or more of the storage spaces will resemble shelving units and will not contain doors or hardware, which could deter your loved one from viewing their possessions. An open design can have standard cabinets installed along either side of each shelf or the regular cabinets can be installed beneath the areas where items will be displayed or along another wall inside of the kitchen.
For more options for custom kitchen cabinets, contact a local custom shop.
