How should a home be organized for safety and accessibility for a new wheelchair user who has a spinal cord injury? - Anne Bryden, OT

The person who’s using the wheelchair, having them be able to access the things that they need to in the absence of others is critical. Things should be at the level of counter height; it’s very difficult to be able to reach things that are higher. If you’re looking at a kitchen, having things in drawers or cabinets for people to be able to access. The refrigerator, it’s important to have things that people need to get on a regular basis available, not on the top shelf. So, it might mean putting your milk on a lower when you’re not used to doing that. But, there are some fixes you can do to help people be more independent in the absence of others to help them.