Setting up a Safe Home for a Child with a Disability

Adapted from the Inspection Support Network, Seattle

We all want our homes to be safe, accessible spaces for our whānau, especially when someone in the home has additional needs. Inspection Support Network are home inspectors based in the USA, and have kindly provided some useful tips for creating safe homes for children with disabilities. These can be helpful for any visitors or guests as well as your own family members.

If you’re renting your home, check out this section of the Community Law NZ website on rights for tenants with disabilities: https://communitylaw.org.nz/communitylaw-manual/chapter-17-disability-rights/ renting-a-flat-access-to-housing-andaccommodation/

If your home and accessibility needs have been impacted by the recent flooding, you can receive payments from MSD that are not means-tested. Call 0800 400 100 for more information. You can also get in touch with your local representatives: MPs, Councillors, and Local Board Members who will be able to provide support and connections to resources.

Modifications for wheelchairs

• Flooring: non-slip materials like textured vinyl, hardwood, or ceramic are all great for wheelchair users. Laminate is a highly durable, easy cleaning flooring material which makes it easier for your child to navigate without getting stuck or frustrated. Carpet is non-slip but thicker carpets like high-pile can be challenging.

• Exterior and home entrance: New Zealand accessibility requirements are 850mm width for entrance doors. Entrance ramps for stairs leading in and out of the home can be installed permanently, or cheaper, portable options are also used.

• Bathrooms: Suggestions include doorless showers, grab bars on the side of a shower to get in and out as easily as possible. Moving mirrors down in other rooms as well as bathrooms, and obtaining shower chairs and benches.

• Kitchens: Designate at least one lowlevel cabinet or draw so your child can easily grab their favourite snacks or utensils. Low kitchen tables enable your child to eat with everyone else, do homework, arts and crafts etc. A grabber device in the kitchen can help reach higher, lightweight items.

• Bedrooms: It’s safest to have a pathway from the bed to outside the room. Electrical cords on the floor, area rugs, and smaller spaces are to be avoided.

Modifications for children with visual impairments

• Whether your child’s visual impairment is mild or significant, they might still be able to perceive light and shapes. Making home modifications will help them perform everyday tasks more efficiently.

• Lighting: make every room as bright as possible and install 60-100 Watt lightbulbs in all fixtures. Try a few different bulbs, including warm incandescent and cool fluorescent, to determine which ones work best for your child. Place torches around key areas of the home just in case you child needs some extra light. Paint light switches in a dark or contrasting colour from the wall so they are easy to find.

• Colour and contrast: bright colours are easier to see, so use solid hues like orange, red, and yellow for items near key pieces of furniture. Avoid patterned rugs or upholstery since they can cause confusion. Apply bright coloured strips to stairways and add some fluorescent tape to doors and cabinets so they’re easy to locate. Avoid clear glasses, dishes, or bowls and instead aim for bright-coloured dinnerware. Paint doorframes and doorknobs bright colours.

• Organisation: Label essential items so your child can easily find the things they need. Remember to put things back once you’re done using them so they’re always in the same place. Fabric paint, rubber bands, and pipe cleaners are all options for tactile label-making.

• Eliminating safety hazards: tips include pushing chairs in when you’re done, keeping electrical cords secure and behind furniture, handrails on stairway and grab bars in the shower or bath, marking stairs and raised thresholds with bright coloured tape or other distinguishable markers, creating a family evacuation plan so your child can get out quickly in an emergency.

Sensory-friendly home modifications

• Lighting: use as much natural light as possible and choose bulbs with a colour-rendering index (CRI) as close to 100 as possible. Avoid flickering lights such as fluorescent or CFL lighting and switch to LED if possible. Try and avoid lighting that makes a background buzzing noise. Dimmable light switches and window tinting can reduce glare, as can keeping surfaces light screens, mirrors, and bright benches away from sunlight.

• Colours: use calming, soft colours when decorating to avoid over-stimulation. When looking for a home, the more open-plan the more sensory-friendly. Minimise clutter where possible to avoid visual barriers. Map an in-home walking loop that allows children with pacing behaviours to walk around to reduce stress.

• Smells: avoid strong smells like air fresheners or scented candles. When using paint or stain, look for those which have a low level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Keep your home well-ventilated. Opt for fragrance-free cleaning products and detergents.

• Bring nature indoors: Add a few safe houseplants and maintaining a garden area where possible is a soothing strategy.

General safety considerations

• Hidden gas valves: ensure these are all out of reach of children.

• Kitchen safety: always keep knives and other sharp objects up high and/or out of sight. Some kitchen appliances have special safety features like hidden on/ off switches or child-proof buttons.