Appliances, sockets, switches etc

One of the big irritations for wheelchair users is the location of everyday fixtures and fittings like light switches and power sockets.

In the case of light switches they are nearly always slightly higher than a wheelchair user would like them and when it comes to electric power sockets they are invariably just above skirting board level. This makes them difficult to reach down to.

Both of these locations can of course be amended and, in the UK, current regulations now recommend a higher location for electrical power outlets. Even so, the cost of remedying these awkward positionings is disproportionately high.

When it comes to electrical sockets it is possible to buy a vertical multi-gang socket box that plugs into a single wall mounted socket and stands up vertically. This solution requires no physical work and also converts a single socket into multiple ones.

With light switches the only option is to relocate the switches, or to exchange them for some more user friendly alternatives. The alternatives are

• A big switch. With this type of switch the entire square wall mounted facia acts as a switch (and not just a little flick switch within it). This means that it is easy to hit and requires only a general view of where the switch is.


• Motion sensors. Rather than having switches, the other option is to have motion sensors that detect the presence of a person entering the room and activate the light.
  
  A more recent refinement of this is to have voice activated lights where vocal commands turn the lights on and off. A simpler and more cost effective variation of this is to have a clap command that activates the lights, the first clap turning them on and the second clap turning them off. There are however some obvious disadvantages to this system, e.g. when listening to the TV or music.

Appliances

In addition to the vertical levels of switches etc, the on-off buttons of some appliances can also be beyond the comfortable reach height of someone in a wheelchair.

Different solutions to this include having a remote control unit to turn the power off or on at the electrical socket, or a clapper sound activated socket that responds to sound.

Even so, appliances remain a problem and the safety standards to which they are built mean that they all operate in standard ways using standard and conventional on-off switches. In most cases, simply having the appliance fitted at a lower level than normal is the only practical option.