Accessible Solutions: Kitchens

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Accessible Solutions: Kitchens
A wheelchair-accessible kitchen can be one of the most complex design problems in a new or remodeling project, requiring an understanding of both basic kitchen design and of individual user needs and capabilities.

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The process of food preparation and cleanup involves a series of interrelated tasks using an array of appliances, plumbing fixtures, food items, and utensils. Careful planning is essential to creating an accessible kitchen that accommodates these tasks and meets your objectives.

Design Requirements
Project requirements that you establish before design begins will help guide important decisions related to the kitchen arrangements and appliance selection. For example, if the wheelchair user resides alone, the proposed kitchen layout will respond to his or her needs and preferences. On the other hand, if the wheelchair user lives with other people who are not disabled, the kitchen arrangement should respond to the needs of all of them. If future resale is important, or if there are budget limitations, the homeowner may not wish to make kitchen modifications that are too customized. Kitchen designs should be individually tailored to each homeowner's preferences and capabilities and should work within the overall plan of the new or remodeled home.

The first step in designing an accessible kitchen is to evaluate which counter arrangements are most suitable for the house plan. This evaluation is based on the room size and location of windows, doors, and passageways to adjoining spaces. A basic work triangle composed of the sink, refrigerator, and cooking area should then be arranged within the proposed kitchen plan. Each appliance, plumbing fixture, and storage compartment should be studied for both ease of use and access.

The following sections address the individual kitchen components and suggest ideas to help you create an accessible and workable kitchen.



Galley kitchen	U-shaped kitchen	L-shaped kitchen

The three basic kitchen arrangements are illustrated above. The "work triangle" is formed by connecting the three basic activity centers. These basic arrangements are often modified to create "islands" and countertop seating areas.

Work Patterns
Kitchen designs for wheelchair users should follow the same functional principles as any residential kitchen. A kitchen should have three basic activity centers:
• Stove or cooktop and oven
• Refrigerator and freezer
• Sink, dishwasher, and disposal

These three centers and the routes that connect them are called the "work triangle." The work triangle should be arranged to allow logical work sequences for food preparation and cleanup. Fresh food, for example, is typically removed from the refrigerator, washed at the sink, and cut and seasoned at the work counter. The food is then placed in a container, moved to the stove for cooking, and then placed in serving dishes. After the meal is complete, cleanup follows another work sequence. Dishes are scraped, rinsed, and placed in the dishwasher. After washing and drying, dishes and utensils are removed and stored in cupboards, cabinets, and drawers.

Basic work sequences can be accommodated in several different counter arrangements including U-shaped, L-shaped, and galley (straight-line) kitchens. Kitchens with island counters are a variation of one of the three basic arrangements. Of these counter arrangements, the U-shaped kitchen may be the most efficient for wheelchair users because countertop surfaces are more continuous. In this respect, the galley kitchen is perhaps the least appropriate. It is most important, however, to select an overall arrangement that functions well with adjacent rooms and exterior spaces.



	Wheelchair-accessible kitchens can include such features as kneespace at both the sink and at a kneespace work area, lowered countertops, and a lowered wall oven with a pull-out shelf below.

Countertops
Accessible kitchen design should minimize workflow disruptions and simplify kitchen tasks. The kitchen arrangement should locate appropriate counter space next to each work center. Convenient counter space is important for wheelchair users who must set items aside each time they reposition themselves. As a general rule, counter arrangements should provide the following features:
• Refrigerator located next to a 1'6" (minimum) countertop.
• Sink and dishwasher with a 2'0" (minimum) countertop on both sides of the sink basin.
• Stove or oven/cooktop with a 2'0" (minimum) countertop on both sides of the appliance unit.

For wheelchair users, countertops should be as continuous as possible so that dishes or containers can be slid between workstations. This arrangement is preferable because it is difficult for wheelchair users to move items between unconnected counters. In some arrangements, a worktable can provide additional counter space. Tables can be repositioned to suit specific activities and stored when they are not needed.

If a kitchen is designed to serve the needs of a wheelchair user and an ambulatory spouse, the countertop height should be carefully considered. A standard kitchen countertop height is 36". Countertop heights for wheelchair users are typically between 29" and 34", depending on the nature of the tasks that will be performed.

Another design option is to provide lower countertop sections at important locations, again, depending on the wheelchair user's needs and capabilities. Lower countertops may be provided at the sink, cooktop, or work counter. Differing countertop levels result in "stepped" counters that may complicate workflow. Countertop level changes should be minimized by consolidating lowered counters when possible. A more expensive option for accommodating the needs of both wheelchair and ambulatory users is to install electrically operated, adjustable height countertops.



	Kitchen sinks can be designed with kneespace to accommodate a wheelchair user. The countertop is typically lowered to 2'10". A shallow basin should be selected to increase kneespace. The drain placement and the configuration of the drain line are important considerations.

Sinks and Disposals
The sink, disposal, and dishwasher are the "center" of the kitchen for both food preparation and cleanup. They functionally work together and share plumbing supply and waste lines so they should always be adjacent in the kitchen plan.

Kitchen Sinks - Sinks for wheelchair users should have the following features:
• Clear floor space for wheelchair access (either front or parallel approach).
• An appropriate sink height.
• Provision for kneespace (if desired).

The most important design decision regarding the sink relates to the intended users. For example, if the wheelchair user desires full access to the sink, then the design should provide a kneespace and accommodate front approach. Otherwise, a carefully located sink without kneespace can still provide an acceptable level of access for some wheelchair users.

Corner sinks offer some functional advantages, particularly using otherwise wasted space, but also have significant drawbacks. Most importantly, dishwasher access is difficult in a corner location because the dishwasher door cannot be lowered when the wheelchair user is working at the sink.

The best sink location is a straight counter section that accommodates a front approach with kneespace or a parallel approach without kneespace. A straight counter section also allows for better dishwasher access, particularly when kneespace is provided below the sink.



	A pull-out shelf can be installed below a wall oven or microwave with a side-hinged door. This helps wheelchair users to insert or remove items from the oven and partially protects them from spills during the process.

Sink Faucets - Faucets should be easy to operate and clean. In most cases, a single-lever handle that controls both water temperature and flow rate is recommended. Installation of a hand-held spray and a tall “gooseneck" spigot is also recommended to make it easier to rinse deep pots and fill tall pitchers.

Garbage Disposal - Installation of a garbage disposal helps with kitchen cleanup tasks. Its location, however, can restrict kneespace under the sink. To avoid this problem, the disposal can be offset to one side. A better alternative, where space permits, is to provide a small disposal sink next to the primary sink.

Appliances
Kitchen appliances should be carefully selected and located appropriately within the overall kitchen plan. In some instances the appliance model selected will determine the proper location. A side-by-side refrigerator, for example, should be located to accommodate both door swings.

Dishwashers - Dishwashers are typically located next to the kitchen sink because used water drains through the disposal into the plumbing waste lines. Unlike other appliances, dishwashers have a standard fixed height and must be installed under a 36" high counter. An ideal dishwasher location is at the open end of a counter, which allows a wheelchair user to pull alongside the unit and easily reach the racks inside.



	Base cabinet storage is not very accessible to anyone because the deep storage can only be accessed by removing the front storage. This operation is more difficult because the interior of the cabinet is dark and so low that the resident must kneel or lean over. Wheelchair users face similar problems. An excellent alternative is the installation of roll-out shelves.

Stoves, Cooktops, and Ovens - Kitchens can be equipped with either a conventional stove or with a cooktop and wall oven. Because most stoves combine the cooking surface with a lower oven, kneespace cannot be provided. A separate cooktop, on the other hand, provides wheelchair users the option of a kneespace below the burners. Wall ovens, because they are also stand-alone units, can be mounted at counter height, which makes wheelchair access easier. Where space does not permit use of a separate cooktop and wall oven, the conventional stove should be located to allow a parallel wheelchair approach.

Kneespace below cooktops enables wheelchair users to more closely approach and orient themselves to the cooking surface. Kneespace requirements are similar to those provided under the kitchen sink. For cooktops and stoves, an electric unit with a smooth ceramic surface allows cooking containers to be easily slid on and off burners in order to minimize spills.

Cooktop operating controls should be either front- or side-mounted. Rear controls create a dangerous condition where individuals must reach across burners to operate the cooktop. Control knobs and switches should be configured to allow one-hand operation and should not require tight grasping, inching, or twisting of the wrist.

Wall ovens are more convenient for wheelchair users than conventional ovens, but spill protection must be provided. For conventional ovens, the lowered oven door provides spill protection as heated dishes are removed. For most wheelchair users a side-hinged oven door is easier to operate, but it does not offer the same protection. Where side-hinged wall ovens are installed, a pullout lapboard can be installed beneath the unit for spill protection.



	Pantries can include sophisticated shelving to expand their capacity. The pair of narrow doors on this cabinet unit are easier for a wheelchair user to operate than a single wide leaf. Items stored on the door-mounted shelving are easy to see and reach.

Refrigerators and Freezers - "Side-by-side" refrigerators are most appropriate for accessible kitchens. This unit provides both refrigerator and freezer storage at similar reach levels, enabling wheelchair users to locate and remove items more easily. Narrower doors on this refrigerator model are also easier for a wheelchair user to operate. If an "over-and-under" model is selected, at least a portion of the freezer space, as well as controls, should be located below a height of 4'6". Whenever possible, refrigerators should be located where doors can swing back a full 180 degrees when opened. This allows wheelchair users to position themselves more closely to refrigerator shelves.

Kitchen Storage
Kitchen storage should be provided in locations that are convenient to work areas. Storage options for wheelchair users may be more limited because of lower reach capabilities and loss of base cabinets at kneespace locations.

Base cabinets can be equipped with sliding shelves that make access easier for items that are stored in the back of cupboards. Lazy-Susan corner cabinets increase storage capacity and provide easier access to cabinet interiors. The interior faces of cabinet and pantry doors can be equipped with narrow storage racks that make stored items easier to visually locate and access. Careful selection of cabinetry can increase kitchen accessibility without the extra expense of custom cabinets.

From Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User
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Text by Paralyzed Vetrans of America
Copyright Paralyzed Vetrans of America © 2001