Home Accessibility: 10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer and Easier to Navigate

A home that worked perfectly well for years can become more difficult to navigate when mobility changes.

Stairs may become challenging. A narrow doorway can suddenly matter when using a walker or wheelchair. Getting into the bathtub may require more effort, and even small obstacles such as loose rugs or poor lighting can make everyday movement more difficult.

Home accessibility is about identifying these barriers and making practical changes that allow a person to move around their home more safely and independently.

Not every accessible home requires a major renovation. Depending on the individual, relatively simple changes to entrances, bathrooms, stairs, bedrooms and walking paths can make a meaningful difference.

Here are 10 areas worth considering.

1. Start With the Entrance to the Home

Before looking inside, consider how the person actually gets through the front door.

Ask:

• Are there stairs at the entrance?

• Is there a secure handrail?

• Is the pathway level and easy to navigate?

• Is there enough room to use a walker or wheelchair?

• Is the doorway threshold difficult to cross?

• Is the entrance adequately lit at night?

For someone using a wheelchair or who cannot safely manage stairs, an appropriately designed ramp may provide another way to enter the home.

Accessibility Standards Canada's 2025 Accessible-Ready Housing standard specifically addresses accessible entrances, paths of travel and provisions for ramps when designing homes that can adapt to changing mobility needs.

2. Keep Walking Paths Clear

Sometimes improving accessibility doesn't require installing anything.

Look at the routes the person uses most often:

Bedroom → bathroom

Living room → kitchen

Front door → main living area

Furniture, electrical cords, clutter and unsecured rugs can make these routes unnecessarily difficult.

Try to maintain a clear and predictable path through frequently used areas.

If someone uses a walker or wheelchair, consider whether there is enough space not only to travel forward but also to turn and position the mobility device.

3. Look Carefully at Doorways

Doorway width may go unnoticed until someone begins using mobility equipment.

A person using a wheelchair or wider walker may encounter difficulty moving through narrow doorways or manoeuvring around doors.

Also consider:

• Threshold height

• Available turning space

• Door-handle style

• Direction the door swings

• Furniture obstructing the approach

Accessibility Standards Canada's residential guidance emphasizes clear, level and unobstructed manoeuvring areas around doors and paths of travel.

Major doorway modifications won't be necessary for everyone. The important point is to assess the person's actual equipment and movement through the home, rather than assuming a doorway will work.

4. Improve Bathroom Accessibility

Bathrooms deserve particular attention because they combine transfers, confined spaces and wet surfaces.

Depending on the person's needs, useful equipment or modifications may include:

• Grab bars

• Shower chairs

• Transfer benches

• Raised toilet seats

• Toilet safety rails

• Commodes

• Hand-held shower heads

• Non-slip surfaces

If stepping over the side of a bathtub is difficult, for example, a transfer bench may provide a different approach than a standard shower chair.

For a detailed breakdown of these products, read our Bathroom Safety Equipment Guide.

5. Make Stairs Easier to Navigate

Stairs can become a significant barrier when strength, balance or endurance changes.

Start with the basics:

• Secure handrails

• Adequate lighting

• Clear steps

• Slip-resistant surfaces

• Consistent stair edges

Accessibility Standards Canada's housing guidance identifies handrails, uniform stair dimensions, slip-resistant surfaces and adequate lighting among important stair-design considerations.

If someone can no longer safely use the stairs despite these measures, more significant accessibility solutions may need to be considered.

The appropriate solution depends on the person's abilities, home and long-term needs.

6. Don't Underestimate Lighting

Good lighting is one of the simplest home-accessibility improvements.

Pay particular attention to:

• Stairways

• Hallways

• Entrances

• Bathrooms

• The route between the bedroom and bathroom

• Frequently used work areas

Nightlights may also be useful along routes someone travels after dark.

The Government of Canada's home-safety guidance recommends good lighting throughout the home and keeping the route between the bedroom and bathroom clear.

7. Consider Flooring and Trip Hazards

Walk through the home and look downward.

Potential problems can include:

• Loose rugs

• Electrical cords

• Uneven transitions between flooring

• Clutter

• Slippery surfaces

• Objects extending into pathways

For someone using a walker, cane or wheelchair, seemingly minor flooring changes can affect movement.

Government of Canada guidance recommends reducing clutter and loose obstacles and considering slip-resistant flooring when modifying a home.

8. Choose the Right Mobility Aid for the Home

The home and the mobility device need to work together.

Someone may use:

• A cane

• Standard walker

• Two-wheeled walker

• Rollator

• Manual wheelchair

• Power wheelchair

A mobility device should be selected based on the individual's abilities and needs—not simply because it fits through the front door.

However, the home environment still matters.

Consider:

• Hallway width

• Turning space

• Doorways

• Flooring

• Thresholds

• Bathroom access

• Bedroom access

The Government of Canada notes that appropriate assistive devices such as canes and walkers can help reduce injury risk for people experiencing balance difficulties.

If you're unsure which mobility device is appropriate, speak with an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or other appropriate healthcare professional.

9. Make Frequently Used Items Easier to Reach

Accessibility also means being able to use the home once you've reached a room.

Frequently used items shouldn't require unnecessary reaching, bending or climbing.

Consider:

• Kitchen storage

• Clothing

• Toiletries

• Light switches

• Thermostats

• Frequently used appliances

Accessibility Standards Canada's residential standards specifically consider the accessibility of controls including faucets, thermostats, switches, windows, appliances and door hardware.

For some individuals, aids to daily living such as reachers, dressing sticks and long-handled shoe horns can also make everyday activities easier.

10. Plan for Future Mobility Changes

One of the most useful questions isn't:

“What does this person need today?”

It's:

“Will this home still work if their mobility changes?”

The Government of Canada's aging-in-place guidance recommends considering whether a home can meet changing needs over time. Examples include widening doorways for mobility devices or planning for equipment that can address stairs.

That doesn't mean every home needs to be completely renovated in advance.

It means thinking ahead when making changes today.

For example, if you're already renovating a bathroom, it may make sense to consider future grab-bar placement.

If you're replacing flooring, consider how easily a walker or wheelchair will move across it.

If you're changing an entrance, think about how it would function if stairs became difficult later.

Good accessibility planning can make future changes easier.

When Should You Consider a Home Assessment?

Sometimes the biggest challenge is determining where the actual barriers are.

A home assessment may be particularly helpful when:

• Someone has recently experienced a significant change in mobility.

• A wheelchair is being introduced into the home.

• Transfers are becoming difficult.

• There have been falls or near-falls.

• A family is unsure which equipment would help.

• Multiple areas of the home need modification.

• A caregiver is having difficulty assisting safely.

An occupational therapist can evaluate how a person's functional abilities interact with the home environment and make individualized recommendations.

Start With the Biggest Barrier

You don't necessarily need to make ten changes at once.

Ask what currently prevents the person from completing an important activity safely or independently.

Maybe it's getting over the front step.

Maybe it's standing from the toilet.

Maybe it's getting through a doorway with a wheelchair.

Maybe it's walking from the bedroom to the bathroom at night.

Solve the most important barriers first and build from there.

Home Accessibility Solutions in London, Ontario

Function At Home provides mobility and home healthcare equipment for individuals and families throughout London and Southwestern Ontario.

Our selection includes mobility aids, bathroom safety equipment, bedroom safety equipment, wheelchairs, ramps, grab bars and other products that can support accessibility at home.

We also work with occupational therapists and physiotherapists when clients require equipment trials and assessments.

Need Help Making Your Home More Accessible?

Visit or contact Function At Home to learn more about mobility equipment and home accessibility solutions.

For complex accessibility needs, significant renovations or individualized clinical recommendations, an occupational therapist or other qualified professional should assess the person and home environment.

FAQs

What does home accessibility mean? 

Home accessibility means reducing physical barriers so a person can enter, move through and use their home more safely and independently. It can involve anything from improving lighting and removing trip hazards to installing ramps, handrails or accessible bathroom equipment.

How can I make my home more wheelchair accessible? 

Start by looking at entrances, thresholds, doorway clearance, paths of travel, turning space, bathroom access and flooring. The person's actual wheelchair dimensions and mobility abilities should be considered rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

What are inexpensive ways to improve home accessibility? 

Removing clutter and unsecured rugs, improving lighting, reorganizing frequently used items and keeping walking paths clear can be relatively inexpensive starting points.

What equipment can help make a home more accessible? 

Depending on the individual, equipment can include canes, walkers, wheelchairs, grab bars, shower chairs, transfer benches, raised toilet seats, bedroom safety equipment and ramps. Check out our bathroom safety guide for more information on bathroom equipment

Should I get a home accessibility assessment? 

An assessment can be particularly useful when mobility has changed significantly, someone has experienced falls, a wheelchair is being introduced, transfers are difficult or substantial modifications are being considered.