Houses are often designed and built to meet the needs of the average occupant. When the owner has special access needs, those average fixtures are often no longer acceptable for the owner.
Making a home accessible to those who are in a wheelchair or who have different height or movement capabilities can be challenging. Even the blinds may have to be changed to be more accommodating.
Luckily, there are a variety of methods to accomplish the same thing that blinds do, whether with new types of blinds or alternatives to blinds.
- Install longer rods and cords – for someone who is in a wheelchair or whose height is well below average, using the standard rods and cords to raise and lower or open and close blinds is a challenge. Replacing those rods and cords with longer ones can make this task much easier for a minimal cost. However, if there are children in the house, this may not be the safest option since children can get tangled up in long cords.
- Install Motorized blinds – Motorized blinds can go up and down at the push of a button. This solution allows those who have issue with small motor movement as well as height or mobility challenges to manage window blinds with ease.
- Replace blinds that require turn rods with cords – when the issue is fine motor movement and there are budget constraints preventing the purchase of motorized blinds, another option is to purchase blinds that only use cords for blind operation. Moving a cord up or down can be a lot easier than twisting a rod, especially if those cords are on a wheeled pulley.
- Use sliding panels for patio door windows – sliding a panel can be a lot easier than twisting a rod. There are great options, from wood panels to blackout panels, that can be installed to cover up large, glass, patio doors.
- Replace blinds with curtains – for someone who just can't manage the intricacies of the blinds, it may be a good idea to replace the blinds with curtains that can be held back with a simple curtain holder at each edge of the window. In this way, the curtain can just be easily drawn back and secured in a curtain holder with no moving parts to twist or pull.
Blinds provide a great deal of privacy as well as improvements to the efficiency of any house. Going without blinds is rarely an option. For those with limited movement, height requirements, or fine motor challenges, there are multiple alternatives to fit almost every budget and need. To learn more, contact a company like Ardy's Gallery of Window Coverings.