Tag: accessible

The different types of stairlifts you can install in your home

The different types of stairlifts you can install in your home

Stairlifts are a game-changer for individuals with mobility challenges, providing a safe and convenient way to navigate stairs within their homes.

If you’re considering installing a stairlift, it’s essential to understand the different types available to find the best fit for your needs.

From straight staircases to those with turns, and from sitting to standing options, here’s everything you need to know about the various types of stairlifts.

What exactly is a stairlift?

Before diving into the specifics, let’s clarify what a stairlift is. A stairlift is a mechanical device installed on staircases to assist individuals with limited mobility in traversing the stairs safely.

It consists of a chair or platform that moves along a track attached to the stairs or the wall, allowing users to ascend or descend without exerting themselves.

What are the benefits of a stairlift?

The benefits of installing a stairlift in your home are numerous, offering enhanced independence, safety and convenience. Here are some key advantages:

  • Increased mobility: Stairlifts enable individuals with mobility issues to access all levels of their homes without the need for assistance, promoting independence and freedom.
  • Safety: Stairlifts reduce the risk of accidents and falls on stairs, providing a secure and stable means of transportation.
  • Convenience: Users can navigate stairs effortlessly, eliminating the need to avoid certain areas of the home or rely on others for assistance.
  • Improved quality of life: By facilitating easy access to different levels of the home, stairlifts enhance overall comfort and quality of life for users and their caregivers.

What are the different types of stairlifts?

Now that you are aware of the benefits that installing a stairlift in your home can provide, let’s understand what the main types of stairlifts are.

Stairlifts for straight staircases

Straight stairlifts are the most common type and are designed for staircases without any bends or curves. They feature a straight track that runs directly along the length of the staircase, making them a practical choice for homes with simple, straight staircases.

These stairlifts typically come with a comfortable seat and can be easily installed without major modifications to the staircase.

Stairlifts for stairs with turns

For staircases with bends, corners or intermediate landings, a curved model is the ideal solution, but can curved stairlifts be designed for spiral staircases? Curved stairlifts are custom-made to fit the specific layout of each staircase, allowing for smooth navigation around turns and landings.

While slightly more complex to install than straight stairlifts, curved stairlifts offer a tailored solution for homes with unique staircase designs.

Standing stairlifts vs. sitting stairlifts

Stairlifts are available in two primary configurations: sitting and standing. Sitting stairlifts feature a comfortable seat that allows users to sit while being transported up or down the stairs. These are suitable for individuals who prefer or require a seated position.

On the other hand, standing stairlifts, also known as perch stairlifts, are designed for users who have difficulty sitting or bending their knees.

Instead of a full seat, standing stairlifts feature a small platform on which the user can stand while holding onto a handrail for support. This configuration is particularly beneficial for individuals with limited mobility in their hips or knees.

Experience increased mobility with a stairlift in your home

Installing a stairlift in your home opens up new possibilities and restores independence for individuals with mobility challenges. Whether you have a straight staircase or one with multiple turns, there’s a stairlift solution to suit your needs.

By investing in a stairlift, you can enjoy the freedom to move around your home safely and comfortably, without limitations. Say goodbye to the struggle of climbing stairs and hello to increased mobility and peace of mind with a stairlift tailored to your home.

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5 ways to make your home more accessible

5 ways to make your home more accessible | H is for Homecredit

Many people have to consider ways to make their homes more accessible. They may have suffered a life altering injury or illness themselves – or have relatives and friends who have to cope with these changed circumstances. Perhaps it’s a case of growing older and not being as mobile as was once the case. Maybe you have a rental property, holiday home or offer accommodation on Airbnb – and want to comply with legal regulations or just make it as user friendly for as many people as possible. Whatever the reason, here a 5 ways to make your home more accessible.

Door intercom system

Entrance

A door system with intercom and visual screen is particularly useful for home occupants with mobility issues. On hearing the buzzer or seeing a visual indicator, the occupier can ascertain who’s there by way of the intercom or live image screen. They can speak directly to that person – informing them that they’re on their way or what to do if they’re unable to get to the door, where to leave packages etc. They can also let callers in if so desired by way of an integrated door lock release mechanism.

Level wooden flooring through a living/dining room

Flooring

Continuous level flooring rather than multi-level floors with steps is a real help for those with walking issues, especially if confined to a wheelchair. When planning refurbishments, assess if open-plan areas are an option. These spaces offer real benefits to those people with mobility issues. Create zones for living rather than lots of different rooms. This reduces the need for doors that might be difficult to open. It also facilitates the installation of a one level flooring finish with all the obvious advantages. If you do have multiple connecting rooms, you could still consider running the same flooring seamlessly between them.

Also, think about using the same material, such as natural stone tiles, in adjoining internal and external spaces. Not only does it work well in creating a real sense of flow visually between inside and out, it creates flow literally for those with mobility issues. The occupant can move effortlessly from kitchen, lounge or bedroom outside into pretty garden patio areas – a real life enhancer. If steps are present, perhaps a ramp structure could replace or be sited alongside them. If this isn’t practical then a collapsible or fold away ramp could be stored in the building for those visiting.

Accessible walk-in shower

Bathroom

The bathroom, with it’s need for a certain degree of privacy, is probably one area that isn’t suitable to incorporate into the open plan scheme! This particular space can cause most trouble and discomfort for those with access issues. For starters, standard baths and showers can be very difficult to get in and out of. And, if they do manage to get in, they can be difficult to use thereafter for those with mobility issues. There are numerous options available to make life easier.

Firstly, consider if a wet room is an option. This creates lots of space for the user and eliminates the need for some of the internal fittings with their associated restrictions or obstacles to use. Then there are baths with side panel doors or perhaps consider a walk-in shower. These have a drainage tray which is installed flush with the floor and can also have the option of a built-in seat for those unable to stand whilst washing. They can look great too, with unfussy, clean and simple lines.

Stair lift at the bottom of a flight of stairs in a house

Furniture

Adjustable beds and chairs that assist in sitting/standing up/down are readily available. These can be either motorised or lever controlled. Stairlifts, the designs of which continue to develop and improve, can be the solution for multi-level homes. Sleek, modern internal lift systems might also be an option for those with the required space and budget.

On a different scale all together – easily reached cupboards, drawers and cabinets are a relatively simple improvement that can be made. If it’s your own home, they can be completely customised to suit your own needs. However, for general occupier usage, nothing too high or too low would be the recommendation – eliminating the stretching up and crouching down positions which are often difficult.

Alexa smart home hubcredit

Electrics

Consider re-positioning electric switches and sockets to make them easier to reach. Again, simply not too high or low is the mantra. It won’t make life more difficult for the unrestricted or able-bodied but will certainly help those with mobility issues. There are easy-to-use appliances available too. Appliances with large buttons and controllers for the visually impaired, for example, or ones that are easy to plug in/disconnect for people with arthritis or similar problems.

And what about smart home hubs such as Alexa or Google Home? What a potential godsend for those with mobility issues – controlling the heating, switching lights on & off, playing music, acquiring information – all this can be done by verbally interacting with the system – no need to move around at all.

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11 key tips to creating good blog content

10 key tips to creating good blog content

Once upon a time, blogging was the domain of a few internet-savvy people, journalling their daily lives. Fast-forward to 2018, and the blogosphere is a very crowded place. How do you make yourself and your content stand out? How can you get people to visit your blog, interact and return again and again?

We’ll share with you 11 of the key tips that we’ve learned about creating good blog content during our decade of writing and publishing.

Research your subject

Even though you may know a lot about your chosen niche, you can’t know everything. That’s what the internet’s there for! Stuck for ideas? Find inspiration for your content creation. Most importantly, visit other blogs that publish content in a similar vein. Every blogger worth their salt needs to size up the competition! Spend a few minutes or more browsing sites like Pinterest and StumbleUpon; flick through books & magazines. Lastly, attend events in person – blogger meet-ups, press days and launches are fab ways to get ideas, network and meet new people.

Travel bloggers

Know yourself

What are you good at? What do you know about? What are you interested in? Do you suffer from wanderlust? A travel blog is a perfect way for you to share your recommendations for stay-cations and trips abroad. A parenting blog can be a useful tool for stay-at-home mums & dads to connect with like-minded folks. Have you just got engaged? Then, it’s a good time to make and share your plans via a wedding blog. A general lifestyle blog can incorporate all these different segments as your life takes its different twists and turns.

Know your audience

Getting to know your audience helps you develop your niche. Find out who your readers are; investigate your visitor numbers and how many pages they visit. Demographic information including their age range, gender, location, whether they’re likely to have children and the type of device they use to visit your blog is all available from sites such as Google Analytics, Quantcast and Alexa.

'Add new post' page in WordPress

Content is king

Perfect use of grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling should go without saying. Check, recheck and recheck again your content before hitting that ‘publish’ button. Use a catchy subject line. Pitch it right – don’t use too much jargon, cliché or acronyms. Make it interesting; use humour and find your ‘voice’.

There are a number of tools you should be using to ensure your copy is in tip-top shape. There’s a free version of Grammarly which helps you improve your sentence structure, punctuation and check your spelling. Activate the built-in spell check if you’re using a CMS such as WordPress or Blogger. Make sure your settings are set to your mother language – in our case, UK English as opposed to US, CAN, or AUS. Save thesaurus.com in your browser for when you encounter that ‘tip-of-the-tongue’ moment. Ditto, dictionary.com – sometimes you need to check if a word actually means what you’re trying to say, or find out that the adjective form of the noun ‘adjective’ is… ‘adjectival’!

In your own words

Under no circumstances plagiarise other people’s content. Firstly, it’s just rude. Also, you (and they) may be penalised by Google. Lastly, your credibility will be seriously damaged. If you must use other people’s words, enclose them in quotation marks and credit them using a link, if appropriate. For example:

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein

If you want to use someone else’s image, contact them for permission first. If you don’t receive a response and you still want to use the image, credit the source and include a link back to the website or web page where you found it.

Pen sketch of a blog page layout

Consider the layout

Make use of headings, paragraphs, bullet points, numbered lists, bold fonts & italics; but don’t go overboard. Make it easy to read, otherwise, visitors will click away somewhere else.

Ensure your content is accessible to disabled people. Think about your visitors who may be visually impaired. Include alt tags for all your images for those that use a screen reader. Set your font size large enough to make the text easy to read. Make certain the contrast between text and the background is easy on the eye. Dark grey, sans-serif text on an off-white background, is ideal.

Unsplash stock photos

Include media

Break up text-heavy posts with photos, diagrams and illustrations. There are a number of websites where you can download copyright-free stock images for use in blog posts. Two of our favourites that offer high-quality, eye-catching photos are Pexels and Unsplash.

Make short, informative, relevant videos. Upload them to YouTube or Vimeo and embed them into your posts to save on your precious hosting space. Being stored on YouTube/Vimeo also makes them available to a global audience.

Don’t play hard to get

Be SEO-friendly – If your blog is on the WordPress platform, Yoast is one of the first plugins you should install. There is a free and a premium version (currently £69). It makes light work of inserting SEO title, focus keyword(s), meta description and so much more!

Go international – Do you have a fairly large foreign readership? Use tools/plugins to make your blog multi-lingual.

Smart phone screen showing social media app icons

Share your hard work

It can be time-consuming, however, cross-posting your content across social media is essential. Luckily, there are a number of free scheduling tools at your disposal. We like Postcron, which allows you to share and schedule posts (with images) on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and others… all in one go!

Engagement goes both ways

Regularly leave relevant comments on other blogs and Instagram posts. Pin/repin other people’s Pinterest images. Join groups in your niche on Facebook, comment on posts and engage with other members. Doing these things often results in people going to check out your blog.

Google Analytics reports

Analyse your stats

Which of your posts get the most hits? What subjects are the most popular? What gets commented on and shared the most? What time of day is the best time to post? Conversely, which of your posts get no attention? Can you go back and improve them?

Continuously tweak and work on your content. Over time, and with experience, your blogging will steadily develop and improve. Do you have any other ideas for creating good blog content? Share your content marketing tips below!

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