How To Make Raised Garden Beds More Accessible for Wheelchair Users
Your backyard garden is one of the best spaces to spend your time and energy. However, this space is not suited for everyone, especially those in wheelchairs. This is mainly due to the design and organization, which makes it difficult to access. Being in a wheelchair should never hinder your desire to garden. That is where there are wheelchair-friendly garden beds.
In the US, there are 13.7% of the adult population who are unable to engage in any activity due to disability. Most could enjoy spending time outdoors caring for plants if they could get such specialized beds. With a few improvements and modifications, you can easily create the perfect front or backyard garden beds for them.
Despite requiring some work hours, making such gardening beds should not be challenging since they require standard resources.
You only need to make design adjustments to make them more user-friendly and best suited for a wheelchair user. Additionally, you have more resources to rely on for inspiration, including ADA guidelines.
To make your work easier, explore a few guidelines to follow.
1. Consider the Optimal Height and Depth
A wheelchair user should be able to plant, weed, and nurture all the seeds and plants comfortably without straining. Therefore, you must ensure the beds are 24 to 36 inches tall to make it easier for them to use the tools comfortably. Secondly, it should not be too deep; the bed should be about 13 inches deep.
The biggest challenge when designing beds is knowing what exact measurements to consider. So, to avoid mistakes or remodification, you can opt for ready-made wheelchair accessible garden beds. Most of these are standard and custom-made to suit everyone’s needs; hence, you do not need to adjust anything. Thus, they can use them without having to stretch their hands or experience any hindrances.
To ensure compliance with ADA provisions, most have integrated features that make them easy to access and use from any direction. The greatest benefit is the durability since they are made of synthetic and reusable materials that can last for years. So, if you have no clue how to make the beds, you can always opt for them since they only require effort to assemble.
2. Change the Width and Layout
These beds are not like ordinary low square or rectangular beds. You should readjust the design to enable the user to access them easily. So, you should create more room beneath the wheelchair so it can get as close as possible. You should also raise the beds while creating an open space for wheelchair positioning and easy access to the plants.
Secondly, the user should not strain to reach the furthest ends; hence, the beds should be wider than 4 feet. The width also depends on how the gardener wishes to access the plants. If they want to access only from one side, it should be 2 feet wide.
3. Focus on Maneuverability and Mobility
Your garden space should be much open with wider paths, allowing the gardener to move from one bed to another without barriers or having to stick to a limited route. Therefore, the distance between the beds matters, and it should be large enough to allow wheelchair passage.
Besides that, the ground should be filled with pebbles or wood chips so the wheelchair can move easily and the rider does not have to dirty their hands. Often, the pebbles or plastered pathways work best. This also leads to an emphasis on the design to create an inspirational and inclusive garden. When positioning the beds, you must ensure they are in an L or U-shaped pattern, allowing accessibility.
4. Use Adaptable Tools and Features
The beds should have integrated features to reduce the energy needed for tasks like irrigation. For example, they should have a fitted drip irrigation system, eliminating the need to water the garden. Next, they should have trellises and vertical planters installed. So, the gardener will attack the plant and allow everything to grow.
Add a few features, like the shade above the bed, to make the area worth spending time in. This is good for protection, ensuring the gardener can stay out longer while attending to the plants without being affected by heat. You can install retractable umbrellas, which they can remove after gardening.
5. Choose The Right Material
Making such garden beds out of wood is better than making them with metals. The wood hardly overheats; hence, the gardener can get as close as possible. However, you should ensure the wood used is durable enough to withstand the pressure and external conditions.
So, you should consider treating cedar or composite lumber to ensure longevity. Smoothen the wood, ensuring no splints or rough edges can harm the gardeners, especially when stretching over the bed.
6. Focus On the Soil Attributes
It is difficult for one with a disability to change the soil or dig things up. So, you should ensure that the type of soil you add to the beds is simple to manage. It should be lightweight and nutrient-rich, thus reducing the energy spent digging and planting.
The best soil should have organically composed peat moss and other lightweight manure to make it easier to till.
Bottomline
Whether disabled or not, gardening should be a fun and relaxing experience. That is why you must make these gardens perfectly designed and of the correct height, width, and depth suitable for anyone with a disability.
You should also add features like bedside tool racks and protection shades, enabling the gardener to spend more time on their passion.
Finally, arrange the beds perfectly for maneuverability and easy access to garden tools.