6 Eco-Friendly Ways to Make Your Home More Disability-Friendly

The “normal” way of building homes is not the most accommodating for people with specific disabilities and conditions. However, there are changes you can make that will make it easier to accommodate people with disabilities while also making it more sustainable. These are some of those changes that you can make if you need it.

1. Use bamboo flooring

You might want to use bamboo flooring for your next eco friendly home renovation that also helps anyone with a disability living in your home.

Bamboo is a highly renewable resource because of how fast it grows. It reaches maturity in just a few years, unlike some traditional hardwood trees that take decades to mature. That also means that it’s not as expensive as some of the other hardwood flooring options.

Aside from its sustainability, bamboo flooring is also a strong contender for flooring material in a home that needs to be disability-friendly.

When you put in bamboo flooring, it comes with a relatively smooth surface so that there won’t be any potential obstacles or tripping hazards that could be dangerous.

Also, bamboo flooring is flexible without compromising its strength and overall durability. That means it is excellent when accommodating heavy equipment such as wheelchairs, ramps, or lifts.

Another reason to get bamboo flooring is that it won’t retain moisture as much, leading to less mold growth. Individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies would benefit significantly from bamboo floors.

2. Decrease your water usage

Being mindful of water usage is a great way to be more sustainable. Still, you’d be surprised that some changes that reduce water usage also make your home more accommodating to people with disabilities.

Individuals with disabilities often need additional assistance or adaptations when they have to go to the bathroom to bathe or do other activities. Luckily, many water-saving measures double as a water-saving method and improve accessibility. Some examples of these water-saving measures would be dual-flush toilets or motion-sensor faucets.

Another device that helps you control your water usage while providing disability accommodations would be a walk-in shower.

If you have a disability, bathing is a strenuous activity that can be dangerous due to the slippery environment, which will aggravate if you have a bathtub. When you replace the bath with a walk-in, it will be easier to accommodate any mobility aid needed.

3. Use a ceiling fan

If you want ways to control the temperature indoors in an energy-saving way, then ceiling fans are a reliable solution. If you have difficulty controlling your body temperature, ceiling fans are something you need in your home. Using one, you can easily adjust the airflow in your living space anytime.

Ceiling fans consume significantly less electricity while providing adequate cooling during warmer months.

Also, you can operate many ceiling fans using remote controls or wall switches, making it more accessible for individuals with mobility limitations or disabilities. You won’t have to tire yourself out just to be able to turn on your ceiling fan.

4. Use Energy Star HVAC and a smart thermostat

Speaking of using tools for air circulation, another addition to your home that helps with temperature control would be an ENERGY STAR-certified HVAC coupled with a smart thermostat.

An ENERGY STAR-certified HVAC system is designed to consume less energy while providing optimal heating and cooling performance.

Again, what you’re getting with highly-improved temperature control tools would be energy-saving capabilities. That’s why you want these devices to obtain certification from ENERGY STAR. That’s an easier way to discern its eco-friendliness.

In addition to an ENERGY STAR HVAC system, integrating a smart thermostat further enhances the eco-friendliness of your home while improving its disability-friendliness.

A smart thermostat lets you tweak and control the temperature settings remotely through a smartphone or voice commands. Again, this way, you can do it so that you don’t have to exert energy by just turning on the AC.

If you have a disability or a condition, how you use your energy is an important consideration, which is why any way your life could be more accessible is a welcome inclusion in the home.

5. Replace light bulbs with LEDs

LEDs are an excellent choice for lightbulbs because they’re bright and last longer than fluorescent lights. However, it’s also great for a more accessible and disability-friendly home.

For example, LED lights may be bright, but they still reduce the glare that can harm people with visual disabilities.

Aside from that, LED lights are also great additions to parts or corners of your home that are dim and don’t get as much natural light. You can also use them to light up pathways and walkways that you couldn’t see clearly otherwise. Places like under the stairway or in your bathroom are where you should be adding your LED lights.

6. Add smart home technology

Smart home technology has made massive steps in creating more accessible living spaces for people with disabilities. We’ve already mentioned a few of the ones that can better your way of life if you have a disability in this article.

For people who don’t have disabilities, smart home tech would be convenient. For those with disabilities, smart home tech provides convenience and a more comfortable way of life without feeling like you are tired or exhausted just living your life in your own home.

Conclusion

These eco-friendly changes in your home make for a house that is more sustainable and does minimal damage to the environment around you. Not only that, but these changes make your home easier to navigate and use for people with disabilities so that they live a dignified life that can be as independent as possible.

Therefore, if you’re planning on building a house that is as accessible as possible, consider using the changes in this home to make for a more disability-friendly place.