Top 5 Things to Consider When Designing Kitchens for the Disabled

If you’re tasked with designing a kitchen for use by disabled or elderly persons, you have a lot of factors to take into consideration. Because every kitchen has its own unique layout, your challenge is selecting the right hardware and placing it where it makes the most sense for the user, something that requires at least some knowledge of ergonomics.

At HLS Healthcare our vision is to deliver the best products and the best services, to offer the best possible quality of life to all our customers and clients. Our Ropox Accessible Kitchen Systems offer our customers a flexible kitchen solution to compensate for a reduced physical ability, which in turn allows them a small piece of independence.  We aim to develop and manufactured products assisting people with disabilities to obtain an independent life. We know we can offer you the best possible solution because in partnership with ROPOX we have been developing our system since 1962.

Over the past 25 years, we have acquired comprehensive knowledge and experience in the development of flexible, height-adjustable kitchen systems offering the elderly and disabled people this opportunity. Most kitchens aren’t properly designed for wheelchairs which scarifies Independence and comfort. Cooking and the ability to eat is a fundamental need, by fitting your kitchen with Ropox Accessible Kitchen Systems you can help reduce Kitchen falls and maximize independence without sacrificing style.

If you are a caregiver, the installation of a 4 single table, KitFram Diagonal, KitFrame Flexi, Kit Frame Hot and Cold or Kit Frame VertiElectric. can help transform your home so you can offer the best care to your elderly parent, or family members living with a disability. Top of form bottom of Form

The benefits of Ropox Accessible Kitchen Systems include;

Products are ergonomically, strong and provide extra support

• To help people with the reduced physical ability to be more independent and to improve, everyday life and self-esteem.
• To make an investment in the product economically attractive – in terms of both space-saving (fewer square meters) and fewer care resources.
• To give carers a better working day with a better working environment and fewer days off sick.

Thankfully, there are products available from HLS Healthcare that can assist you in meeting your goal of designing a kitchen that is functional, safe, and intuitive for its user. In this article, we’ll be explaining what is most important in selecting and installing the right accessibility hardware so that disabled people can cook, clean, and go about their daily lives easier and more efficiently.

With that said, here are the top five things to consider when designing kitchens for the disabled:

1. Start with ease-of-access. The first thing to consider as you design your accessible kitchen is the provision of easy access by users to counters, cabinets, worktops, and shelving.
2. For users in wheelchairs, make sure that the underside of counters and tabletops are just a few inches above knee-height, allowing for easy movement to and from the workstation.
3. Use height-adjustable cabinets (see the KitFrame VertiElectric from Ropox). Because the user can select the height that works best for them, the entire kitchen experience flows better.
4. Select adjustable tables with caster wheels for easy movement (see the 4Single from Ropox). Keeping tables mobile and height-adjustable allow the user more options in their meal preparation and consumption.
5. Make sure that drawers, doors, cabinets, pantries, and storage bins are all easy to open, close, and secure. The professionals at HLS Healthcare can assist you in the selection of the best hardware to meet this need.

Other examples of integrating ease-of-access into your design plans include:

• Installing mechanical or motor-driven countertops and kitchen islands
• Positioning cupboards so that all levels are reachable by a seated person
• Ensuring that walkways and aisles are wide enough to accommodate larger wheelchairs
• Resolving flooring elevation differences with ramped transitions, not with steps or seams

The goal in designing the best accessible kitchen is to make daily kitchen activities as resistance-free as possible, keeping all materials, ingredients, and supplies in easy reach throughout the area. Relying on equipment that is designed specifically for this purpose can go a long way in ensuring that the user has a hassle-free time using the kitchen for any purpose.

Style Matters!

As much as users want a functional kitchen that they can use in comfort, they also want it to look appealing and modern. Even though a kitchen may be accessible, it might not necessarily be a pleasure to work in, due to poorly designed materials or dated finishes. This is why the Ropox products available from HLS Healthcare are such fantastic solutions – they provide accessibility and a great aesthetic, resulting in a pleasant, easy use of the kitchen, every time.

To learn more about the Ropox family of products, contact us today on 1300 931 893.