I use a wood stool as a lower surface to cut on or stir on. It is also easy to move over to the stove to set those taller pots on to see what's inside. A quick stir and back on the stove. I also have some pull out racks so I can get to the back parts of lower cabinets. Gotta say this. I have never seen a anyone who moves just like me. You do. I have short legs and too much belly to make my lap very useful for grocery and laundry baskets. I do the hand to hand switch also. And I push with my lower arms too. Sometimes with my elbows on furniture and walls when my hands are full. I keep plates on a pretty rack by the sink because they are easier to get and unload from the dishwasher. Every house is different. My new sink is way too deep. Hard to clean. I make my hubby help with tall things or half the shelves would be a waste. I use a grabber, but never with anything I can't let fall. Seems I drop about half the time.
One of the reasons I started this channel is because I rarely see anyone who moves/looks like me. A lot of the representation I see of women in wheelchairs are women who became paralyzed later in life so they are thinner and less muscular than me. It makes me so happy that you found my channel and that you can relate!! :)
I have a great suggestion (it would take the cabinets on either side of the bottom away) but would make that stove SO MUCH safer. Get like a platform with a ramp on each side and put in front of the stove. Those gas burners and you reaching in the back of the counters for a utensil is scary.
I'm waiting to move into a house with an accessible kitchen. My current kitchen is tiny and completely trashed from my powerchair wheels. lol It has an elevating feature now to reduce my shoulder pain. 🙌🏻
Have you ever considered using a padded serving tray to rest on your thighs to help you transport items from the countertop to the dining table. It may help free up your arms to self propel your wheelchair.
Hi Thanks for sharing. Do you like to bake? Any tips on accessibility for baking? Also have you considered having a portable tabletop induction stove top unit on your drop-down counter, to use when you want to cook in a large crock pot?
i know this is a few months old but have you ever considered getting a indoor countertop grill. I have a countertop Grill that is also a griddle ad a panini maker i use it everyday for cooking i still live at home so having my lower countertop is awesome its just a rolling island without the wheels in part of the kitchen and the grill on top is amazing its the only other appliance i use if im not using the oven to bake something
Thanks for the suggestion! I tried a countertop grill in the past and didn't like it very much. I found that it didn't heat very well. But I may need to try again sometime.
In order to get closer to the sink, you could open up the cabinet doors underneath and wheel closer... That's what I do anyway... And I have always had a fear of cooking on a regular stove, but my parents said I can't have a house without a stove... So we compromised and I'm having a lower cooktop installed! I'm not a huge fan of cooking so the oven part will not be missed! :)
I'll have to try that sometime with the cabinets. That's a great idea 😀 I can understand being afraid of the stove. I love cooking too much to let it stop me. I am afraid of grilling though!
I'm afraid of transferring boiling water to the sink to drain the pasta! I've done it a few times with the portable cooktop I have, but every time I have done it I worried that the whole pot of water would spill on my lap and burn the heck out of my legs! The bottom half of my legs don't work... I don't need the muscles in the top half compromised, you know? :) Oh and that leads me to another question I had... I can't remember if I've asked it yet... Do you have any feeling in any part of your legs? I can feel the thighs and sort of under the knee and top half of the calves... So that's how I'm able to stand up and use braces and crutches... I was just wondering if you had the capability of muscle usage to walk, but prefer to only use a chair because it really is easier! :)
I’ve seen some videos of people using a mirror on the overhead range to see in to pots. I don’t really use the stove so I’ve not tried it to see how well it works. A long grabber is really helpful in getting things from high places or the floor independently.
