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landscape designGardens
laura_price49

inspiration for a disabled friendly garden please

Laura Price
4 years ago

Hi all, with the house nearly finished we are starting to think about the garden. We have limited budget left to sort out our garden which needs to be accessible as our daughter has spina bifida and it is not yet clear if she will need a wheelchair full time or be able to walk with assistance in the future. It needs to be easy to maintain and be suitable for 3 children to play in aswell as entertaining . There is a bit of a drop down from the patio doors so I was thinking decking for the patio then sleeper retaining wall and ramp? My husband has reservations about timber decking due to its reputation for being slippy, but our budget won’t stretch to composite. Thanks in advance x

Featured Answer
  • Gabby Wong
    4 years ago

    You can get anti-slip paints for timber decking - if you search for Sonia (up until recently called forzaitalia) I think she recently painted her decking with some and said it was good, can’t remember what she used tho!

    Comments (7)

    • Sonia
      4 years ago

      On the Alan Titchmarsh Love Your Garden prog they often create gardens suitable for the disabled. They usually create a very gently sloping path from the house to the end of the garden, usually in a semi circle or a complete circle. That way the garden is accessible all the way round. If the middle of the circle is grassed then that’s great for the other children to play on.


      As far as decking goes, I agree it is slippy, but I’ve just painted mine in a non slip stain and it really is non slip, even in the rain. I only painted it a few weeks ago so I will see how it looks in a years time! I used Screwfix no nonsense anti slip stain in Slate. The deck is on a frame and it has made the deck almost the same level as the house Which is great.

      Here’s a pic.




      Circular lawn surrounded by a path.


      Possible deck ramp


    • Gabby Wong
      4 years ago

      Other factors to consider is do you want her to be able to help and access stuff? as raised beds could be helpful if she's going to be able to help you potentially (depending on how much you want to grow) alternatively can think of lower maintenance options

    • Ribena Drinker
      4 years ago

      If she does have to use a wheelchair, from experience of being a wheelchair user in the garden, the most frustrating things I have found is riven or uneven paving with uneven joins and spacing, which tend to "trap" the smaller front wheels. Similarly, a small stones can literally stop you in your tracks if they get caught by the front wheels.


      Also uneven or lumpy grass can be a problem, generally short grass can be relatively well negotiated if the ground is firm, but lumpy lawns mean sometimes you end up "beached" with one of the wheels with no traction.


      But those also apply to non-wheelchair use if your walking isn't very good and you rely on sticks or crutches.

    • Laura Price
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      Thank you, as always some great advice on this app. Love the deck ramp with the planter behind. X

    • Laura Price
      Original Author
      4 years ago

      Thank you Ribena, that’s really helpful x

    • PRO
      AGI Landscapes
      4 years ago

      If you are doing a ramp for a wheelchair it needs to be as wide as possible 1.5m is ideal and the gradient should be no more than 1:15 ie 1cm drop over a 15cm horizontal distance. The shallower the angle the better.

      Smooth paving would be better as if done properly should not be that much more that a correctly constructed deck. You can make it more visual appealing by mixing in some paviours in bands or borders.

      You can lay the paving level with your internal floor as long as you install the appropriate drainage between the house and paving.

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