Designing apartment access for young wheelchair users with MS

[estes]

I'm putting together a layout plan for a mid-rise building focused on younger adults living with MS. I'd like to connect with anyone who uses a wheelchair (you don't need to be elderly) and can share insights on everyday mobility challenges especially around kitchen setups and bathroom access. Any firsthand experiences or must-haves would help me make the design actually useful.

 

[naryb_53]

I don't use a wheelchair but I've worked on a similar residential project for people with varying mobility needs a while back.
We found that talking directly to residents was invaluable, especially for things you might not immediately consider from a design perspective, so I appreciate your focus on getting firsthand experience!
In that project I mentioned, they requested pull-out pantry shelves and lower countertop sections for prep work.
In bathrooms, we designed a roll-in shower with a built-in bench and grab bars that could be easily relocated.
I hope more members share their insights here, and good luck!

 

[Starfire]

If you're designing for wheelchair users and relying solely on guesswork or textbook "accessibility," you're setting folks up to struggle....talk to real users or you're just building pretty prisons

 

[Sinclair.ven]

Lower countertops, pull out shelves, and open space for turning make a huge difference. In bathrooms, roll in showers, grab bars, and reachable controls really help.

 

[Alan]

@estes this is a really thoughtful approach. Lower counters, pull-out shelves, and open floor space for turning are huge, and roll-in showers with grab bars make bathrooms far more functional. Definitely talk to users whenever you can. They’ll highlight things you wouldn’t think of from textbooks alone.