How to Prepare for Disabled Guests

When disabled guests are coming to visit or stay with you, you must prepare. Doing this will ensure that they have a fun and relaxing experience, all whilst feeling fully accommodated. No matter the age of your disabled guests, there are several steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared for their arrival. If you need some help regarding this, then look no further than the advice below.

Hire a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV)

If you’re going to be physically transporting your guest or guests around by car, then it’s an excellent idea to hire a WAV for your required amount of time (whether it’s a single day or multiple weeks).

WAVs are just like normal vehicles, with the only difference being that they’re specially built to accommodate disabled people at the same time.

With a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, you’ll be able to transport your disabled guests wherever they need to go with minimal fuss or hassle. They’ll be comfortably seated in the vehicle whilst you take control of the driving side of things. Getting them in and out of the WAV is also incredibly easy. In some cases (depending on their disability type), your guests will be able to do this themselves.

Typically, a WAV includes:

• A wheelchair ramp
• Lowered floor
• Special seatbelts for wheelchairs

To get started with hiring a WAV, use Allied Mobility.

WAVs are just like normal vehicles, with the only difference being that they’re specially built to accommodate disabled people at the same time.

Buy Pairs of Grab Rails

Grab rails are excellent tools to have when it comes to preparing for disabled guests. Typically, grab rails can be attached to solid surfaces, such as bathroom tiles, glass, and some plastics.

Typically, grab rails can be attached to solid surfaces, such as bathroom tiles, glass, and some plastics.

In the case of a bathroom, you can install a pair of grab rails in the shower and bath so that your disabled guests have something to grab onto when they’re using these facilities. This is a great way to prevent potential accidents, as bathrooms are (of course) quite slippery.

Move Your Furniture Around

Often, disabled people find it more difficult than others to navigate around homes – particularly when there’s lots of furniture around.

To prevent this from becoming an issue, make sure to rearrange your furniture before their arrival. The key is to create clear pathways and space to move around, from the living room to the hallways. Anything that causes obstruction (such as tables and décor) can lead to unnecessary problems, which you obviously won’t want to happen.

Keep Rugs and Floor Mats Secure

If you have rugs and floor mats scattered around your house, you need to either:

• Secure them
• Temporarily remove them

This is because they’re potential slip hazards for people with disabilities. You can secure rugs and floor mats by using rug grippers, which are sticky-like sheets that you put underneath them. The sheets then stick to the floor and keep the floor mats in place when people stand or walk over them. However, if you want to be extra safe, then it’s completely fine to remove all your rugs and floor mats until your disabled guest leaves.