Design for Elderly and Disabled Environments:

Making homes more comfortable and accessible

KitchenPart 5 of 10

Content: Bathrooms

• Common barriers• Remodeled kitchen• Sinks• Ranges• Cook tops• Ventilation hoods• Wall & microwave

ovens• Refrigerators

• Cabinets/storage• Flooring• Countertops• Additional changes

Common Barriers • Kitchen sink requires

users to stand. • Knob handles on

cabinets and faucets limit usage.

• Controls for lights and fan on hood.

• Cooking appliance controls on rear of unit.

• Limited floor spacing for mobility aids.

Common Barriers

• Freezer space is out of reach.

• Shelves in pantry are too deep and out of reach.

• Microwave in awkward location.

• Wall cabinets shelves are too high.

• Receptacle & switch are too high.

Remodeled Kitchen

• New receptacles &

switches at accessible

locations.

• Rolling carts for

storage space and

accessibility.

Remodeled Kitchen

Sinks

• When replacing

existing faucet

handles, use lever or

asymmetrical models.

Sinks

Sink

• Consider a model with shallow basin and drain located at the rear of the bowl.

• Consider adding a “tub bend” to move the pipe and trap.

• Consider fabricating a removable base cabinet.

Ranges

• Easy-to-use front mounted controls eliminate reaching across burners.

• Self-cleaning model eliminates reaching to the rear of oven.

Ranges

Cook Tops

• Consider cook top

models with staggered

burners.

• Flush tops rather than

raised burners can

provide convenient use.

Cook Tops

Ventilation Hoods

• Controls for ventilation

hood range & cook top

should be easy to use &

operate.

• Consider installing

auxiliary controls.

Wall & Microwave Ovens

• Consider installing pull-

out shelves.Movement of pans

Wall & Microwave Ovens

Wall & Microwave Ovens

• Consider using new self

cleaning wall ovens.

• Consider making the

base cabinet removable

for added knee space.

Refrigerators

• Consider replacing an old refrigerator with a side-by-side model.

• Consider a model with a bottom freezer.

• Consider a model with an ice and water dispenser.

• Select a refrigerator with pull-out shelves & trays.

Refrigerators

Cabinets/storage

• Consider loop handles that do not require twisting of the wrist.

• Consider using full extension drawer slides

• Consider revolving or extending semicircular shelves.

• Consider installing some banks of full extension drawers.

Cabinets/storage

• Consider using pull-out or

down shelves.

• Consider placing cabinets

with the bottom shelf no

more than 48 inches off

the ground, which is

accessible for more

people.

Countertops

• Consider mounting

countertops at more

than one level.

Countertops

Countertops

• Use adjustable

counters that can be

set for different

heights.

• Consider contrasting

edging on countertops.

Additional Changes

• Use hanging racks

• Use rolling carts

• Install sliding, revolving,

pull-down, and/or

motorized shelves.

• Use knob adapters