6 expert-approved wheelchair-accessible kitchen ideas
ADA-friendly designs for culinary excellence
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Remodeling a kitchen is infamously one of the most expensive home improvement projects one can possibly undertake. That challenge is compounded if the goal is to make a kitchen that's wheelchair accessible. The good news is that such investments also tick all the necessary boxes when it comes to making a home friendly for those aging in place, for children, and for final resale value.
Cabinetry, appliances, and sinks are much sleeker than they used to be—meaning they prioritize ADA-friendly function just as much as form, says Dan Bawden. The President and CEO of Texas-based Legal Eagle Contractors is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and a past Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.
He, and others, offered Reviewed six wheelchair-accessible kitchen ideas that can turn any cooking space into a truly wheelchair-accessible kitchen in no time flat.
1. Consider sliding pocket doors and create floor space
Sliding doors offer maximum clearance for wheelchair users to move from room to room.
Like his advice to make a bathroom wheelchair accessible, Bawden suggests widening doorways and removing thresholds that chairs may have trouble bumping over. Bawden also often adds sliding pocket doors, instead of doors that swing, to increase floor clearance (and to give more area for wheels to spin).
Removing throw rugs and eliminating other slippery surfaces is also the bedrock of any wheelchair-accessible kitchen or living space. Replacing smooth, reflective marble tiles with smaller ceramic ones, for instance, can increase grip because it creates more areas with grout.
2. Put an electric cooktop and sink on the same wall
Cooktops with front controls are easiest to access from a seated position.
Texas-based CAPS-certified contractor David L. Traut of T-Square Company says a remodel is the best time to consider appliance placement and ensuring cooktops and sinks are on the same wall. That way, users won't have to carry heavy pots across the room.
He prefers electric cooktops with smooth surfaces and controls on the front instead of the rear. Units with staggered burners, like this 36-inch induction cooktop from Frigidaire, also provide easy access to all burners for seated cooks.
Electric cooktops are a great wheelchair-accessible kitchen idea that preserves necessary navigation space.
Bawden says a conversion to electric from gas frees up extra leg and wheel space for motorized height-adjustable cooktop modules, like a Wall Mounted Motorized Height Adjustable Cooktop Module from Granberg.
A motorized, height-adjustable cooktop can be costly, but it provides maximum accessibility.
And for those who can't do without a microwave, save valuable counter space by installing an ADA-friendly microwave drawer. Most feature a locking mechanism, unlike non-ADA models that are installed at the height for a wheelchair user but can be accessed easily by curious children.
A microwave drawer preserves counter space without sacrificing functionality.
3. Buy a wall oven and prioritize French doors
Wall ovens with French doors allow wheelchair users to get close enough to grab hot meals.
In a standard kitchen, cooktops are often on top of the oven. Traut says wheelchair-accessible kitchen designs should reframe that logic by taking advantage of a separate wall-mounted oven. He likes ovens with side-hinged doors versus the traditional pull-down style that requires reaching up and pulling hot meals over one's head.
Wall-mounted ovens offer easy access to this kitchen staple with no bending required.
The same goes for refrigerators, says Bawden. He likes models with French doors that open side by side, with the freezer on the bottom accessible via a wide handle. The French doors mean a wheelchair user won't have to back up or sideways each time they open the fridge, and having heavy meats on the bottom increases visibility and decreases the chance something will fall on a user.
Traut recommends installing at least 18 inches of counter space adjacent to the refrigerator so that when cooks pull out ingredients, they can place them there instead of on their lap.
4. Get a touchless faucet and wheelchair-accessible sink
Touchless faucets are a great solution for users approaching sinks at a low angle or with limited dexterity.
While most refrigerators, stoves, and sinks are designed in a "work triangle" shape, Traut suggests placing cooktops and sinks on the same wall, so wheelchair users don't have to carry heavy, dirty pots across a room.
Katie Finn, of Patrick A. Finn Custom Homes and Remodeling in Illinois, recommends adding sensor sinks to wheelchair-accessible kitchens. "Consider treating yourself to a hands-free faucet with an anti-scald device. Automated soap dispensers and sinks with narrower and shallower basins are also a good way to prevent back pain from leaning over too far," she advises. This touchless faucet from Soosi has a sprayer and traditional handle, too.
When less dexterity is required to use the sink, wheelchair users are more free to move.
Bawden is a fan of installing faucets on the side of sinks and not in the back for those with a shorter arm span, an advantage for families with younger children, too. (He recommends the same for wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.)
Some ADA-compliant kitchen sinks, like these shallow sinks from Blanco, have invisible plumbing with an open space for wheelchair users, meaning there are no pipes to bump one's knees on or get scalded.
Specialized shallow sinks like these reduce bending and have invisible plumbing to maximize roll-in space.
And for those who want to adjust their sink height like a more modern working desk, wired to move up and down, hardware and wiring kits like these from Approach include everything a contractor needs to motorize their fixtures.
With these kits, you can make it so your sink stays at a height that's most comfortable for you.
5. Pull-down shelves and other kitchen cabinet creations
Pull-pull down cabinets make it easier than ever to reach high-up plates and dishes.
Traut is a fan of the KraftMaid® Cabinetry Passport Series, which keeps a minimum 9-inch-high toe space to accommodate wheelchair footrests and many mobility aids.
These premium cabinet options could be the cornerstone of an ADA-accessible kitchen.
And as for what goes inside those cabinets, there are more wheelchair-accessible ideas than ever. Today, there are fewer conversations about accessibility "versus" storage than ever before, says Bawden.
To free up floor obstructions, he suggests adding rollout islands with wheelchair-user-accessible butcher blocks and storage that can be stored underneath a countertop. They nest inside a traditional set of cabinets after food prep is completed.
He also suggests pull-down, spring-loaded shelves for dishes and spices. And since many kitchens are built with a blind corner cabinet—those placed in corners with lots of storage but limited accessibility—installing ShelfGenie hardware can help.
Pull-down shelves offer streamlined access to dishes and spices.
This little contraption helps you make the most of valuable corner cabinets.
6. ADA-complaint dishwashers have a shorter height
ADA-compliant dishwashers are shorter and, thus, easier to reach.
No one wants to lose valuable under-counter storage space, but perhaps even fewer would prefer to wash dishes by hand. Luckily, there are several ADA-compliant dishwashers, some of which come in widths as small as 18 inches. Bosch's are shorter in height than standard dishwashers and have easy-to-reach controls.
This dishwasher is shorter than average, making it easy for seated users to reach.
Of course, while these six wheelchair-accessible kitchen ideas are by no means exhaustive, they should offer a solid baseline for what homeowners should consider if they truly want to make an ADA-friendly cooking area. Not all of these modifications will apply to all people or situations, so just pick a configuration that best matches your needs and budget.
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