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Furnish for accessibility and ageing in place

The household will change. A home that works for a wheelchair, a walker or stiff hands saves a costly refit later. design-2 sets the building rules; this step covers fittings and furniture.

How

1. Keep at least one bedroom, bathroom, the kitchen and the living room usable on one level with a step-free route (design-2).
2. Fit lever handles on doors and taps, grab bars by the shower and toilet and a shower seat, as AARP suggests.
3. Put light switches at room entrances and use night lights in bedrooms and bathrooms (AARP). Make sure some night lights work in a blackout.
4. Avoid loose rugs, keep cords out of walkways and declutter routes (AARP).
5. Add pull-out drawers and trays in kitchen cupboards so stores are reachable without climbing.
6. Check your local accessibility rules for private homes. Example (England): Approved Document M optional standard M4(2) sets door and hall widths (design-2).

Do these first

• design-2

Sources

1. Aging in Place checklist. AARP, accessed 2026-11
2. Approved Document M: Access to and use of buildings, Volume 1: Dwellings. HM Government (GOV.UK), accessed 2026-11

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