Perhaps you have recently experienced a fall or another accident, which means your mobility has either been temporarily damaged or else has been changed for the long term.
Alternatively, maybe another member of your household, a family friend, or a close friend is now in a wheelchair, and you are looking to make some changes to the back garden and back door to your property to accommodate.
Regardless of your motivation, continue reading to discover a concise guide to making your garden considerably more accessibility friendly.
Create a Clear Pathway
First and foremost, even though this suggestion sounds more than a little obvious, it may already seem as if you have a pathway along the edge of your lawn, but creating a clear route to navigate the whole space is one of the most important considerations.
In more detail, you should also look to include a ramp (where applicable) from the edge of the back door and the garden. Any pathway you clear and create should also be wide enough to fit a wheelchair comfortably.
Any curves or bends in the pathway need to be gradual and slight, and if walking is a bit of an issue, the installation of ornate yet functional handrails is also a sensible option.
Smooth Paving
Another hugely important change to make, whether or not the person you are catering for is in a wheelchair or else gets around with a walker or even a walking stick, is to ensure the paving slabs outside are even and smooth.
Established and expert suppliers of stunning and mobility-friendly natural stone paving, such as www.mystonefloor.com, are more than ready and willing to offer any advice and answer any questions you have about the different ranges of smooth paving and how each one differs.
Safety Lighting
Although the first two suggestions are much more practical additions, when it comes to the volume of lighting in your new accessible garden, the more, the better.
A motion-sensor light above the back door and another one over the shed and/or garage is an excellent place to start, but you could also look into installing cat’s eyes along the edge of both sides of the pathway.
Additionally, this is where solar lighting kicks in, so look for stake-style solar lights to push into flower beds and raised areas of the garden. For extra safety and beauty at the same time, hang some string lights across the entire perimeter of the fence.
Add Small Elements of Smart Technology
Finally, just as there is a wide array of smart technological items for the home that can make life easier for everyone, regardless of their level of mobility, there are a handful of motorised and technological investments to make managing and enjoying the garden easier too.
For example, if you have always loved to plant your own handmade and unique hanging baskets and enjoy choosing the very best in plants from a wide range of different garden centres, but now are unable to reach high enough for watering, affordable systems are available to lower and raise the baskets to suit.
