Hello, everyone! So, today, I’d like to talk a bit about how to remodel for disabilities, albeit yourself or precious loved ones that may live with you or maybe visit on the regular. The focus of this blog post will be to adhere and to accommodate to the needs of these individuals to make their daily lives easier to both maneuver and get the items they need in their kitchen. Wellborn Cabinets has a line of accessories, Active Living, that successfully caters to those with disabilities. This is exceptional for a couple of reasons, one being that they’re an extremely well-known and renowned cabinetry company that prides itself on an exceptional product. And with that said, secondly, one can rest assured that these accessories match that extravagance. Let’s begin, shall we?

Wellborn Cabinets Acting Living Accessories

Dishwasher Base Now, we all know that loading and unloading the dishwasher can be a pain in the butt (quite literally) and this is one of the reasons why it is and is widely considered a chore. For those in a wheelchair, Wellborn has implemented what’s known as a dishwasher base, a cabinet set off the ground that allows for easy access in both retrieval and otherwise! Pretty nifty, if you ask me. A perfect fit in your remodel for disabilities.


Drawer Base Pullout This nifty mechanism has an additional cutting board at the appropriate height. So, slice-and-dice away, folks! I also really like this concept because, where it may not seem like much, it gives you more counter space to work on, and that is ALWAYS ideal.

Microwave Base Coolest thing. As you can see, this cabinet is designed to fit the average-sized microwave in its niche. I told you — Wellborn has essentially thought this line all the way through, and we all know the importance of being able to get to the microwave. Outstanding.

Sink Base Fit for the appropriate level, this cabinet design allows those who are wheelchair-inclined complete and total access to their sink. Everything is measured in a height-conscious manner. Now, it doesn’t completely get rid of the tiresome task of washing pots and pans, but still.

Sidenote: If you have an island, make sure the spacing between it and the rest of your cabinets is wide enough for a wheelchair to comfortably get through. It may seem like a silly thing to forget, but it’s best to be conscious of space during this entire process. And to avoid catastrophe! 
Kitchen & Bathroom Lifts On Wellborn’s website, they provide a little bit of info, along with some contract information, about Universal Design Products, the North American distributor of accessible kitchen and bathroom lifts designed by Granberg of Sweden.

Here’s what they say about their products: “By installing automatic accessibility lifts, the height of sinks, cabinets, worktops and appliances can be adjusted to accommodate the needs of all users. Most importantly you can design beautiful efficient kitchens and bathrooms that maximize the independence, convenience and changing abilities of all household members.” Personally, I think this is a really cool, really inventive tool that can be used for the disabled, as well as those preparing for the future. A most excellent system in a remodel for disabilities.

Remodel for Disabilities: Flooring

Some people tend to skip over this part of remodeling for those with disabilities, but it is a vital step in the process. Ideally, you want a floor that has a hard, non-porous surface, slip-resistant for obvious reasons, but has decent traction for wheelchairs to roll on. My suggestion?

It’s a hard surface and we definitely carry products that are slip-resistant. Wheelchairs will glide across the perfectly, and you won’t hear the constant “thud” of the wheel sliding over the grout lines. I know that tends to be people’s concern with putting tile in a kitchen.

And if we’re going to get specific, I recommend CoreTEC LVT. It is a 100% waterproof flooring that both pleasing to the eye and well worth it’s very-low price of $2.99/sf, especially from an engineering standpoint. So, if you had cause for concern in putting anything other than tile in your kitchen, worry no more. This stuff is legit.

Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are one of the leading providers of  kitchen cabinets, tile, flooring, windows and doors in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design comes as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients, home improvement pros & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement, we hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation! Written by: Chris Chamberlain