Planning a Mobility Route Through a Shotgun House: What It Takes
One characteristic is the long hallway that serves most of the rooms in the home. For the shotgun homes that I evaluate for wheelchair accessibility, I take a front-to-back path to map out some of the challenges that may be present and to find the access locations for the bedrooms and bathrooms. One functional doorway is not beneficial if a room becomes a pinch point in the access path.
That long path is what differentiates this from accessibility evaluations for one doorway or one room.
In the shotgun houses that I evaluate for accessibility in New Orleans, Arabi, Chalmette, Gentilly, Broadmoor, or any other city, I am primarily concerned with the paths that people actually take to access each room before I think about the equipment. At 101 Mobility of New Orleans, we take the path that people take and determine what, if any, alterations should be made to the path.
The control points for a path in a shotgun home can be doorways, furnishings, or thresholds.
In these long, narrow homes, the control points for the path may be any of the above.
I do not assume the narrowest looking area is the only problem, so I follow the path in order.
| Route Checkpoint | What I Check | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Front or back entry | Door frame, threshold, approach, door swing | Back clearance for the mobility route to begin |
| Room-to-room doorway | A clear opening and approach direction | Each of the doorways the device must traverse |
| Turning point | The space needed for the change in direction | Straight-line clearance does not provide adequate turning |
| Furniture pinch point | The clearance around frequent furniture | The flexibility of the route can be adversely impacted by furniture |
| Floor transition | Changes in surface (threshold) | Small changes can affect the way the floor is traversed |
| Parking location | Where the mobility device is parked while not in use | The route should not be obstructed by a parked device |
| Charging location | Outlet and clearance around device | The charging must not disrupt the routine |
| Bedroom and bathroom | Final approach, clear doorway, and usable interior route | Useless to reach the back of the home unless the destination is usable |
This is particularly important in a mobility route through an older home where rooms may have been changed, added, or repurposed through the years.
I look for the simplest fix first.
If the needed passage is created by moving a table, changing where a chair sits or relocating the charging location, I will identify that and not recommend equipment because it is available.
When a Compact Power Chair Changes the Route
There are times when the mobility device, itself, changes what is possible.
A larger device may perform well outside. However, it may be difficult to traverse a room-to-room route and perform tight turns. In that case, I would compare the route to a small compact power chair.
The Pride Go Chair is a power chair with a travel focus. It is designed to easily maneuver around a room and can be taken apart for storage.
However, I do not suggest a travel chair based on the word travel.
I still need to consider:
- Every doorway on the necessary route
- The tightest turn
- Furniture that blocks a path
- The location the user will transfer
- Where the chair will be kept
- Where the chair will be charged
- If it also needs to travel in a car
A smaller turning footprint may help be better for parts of a shotgun house, but may not fix all the physical barriers.
If a doorway is still too tight, a threshold is still difficult to deal with, or a bathroom does not allow enough clear space for movement, changing the mobility device will not change anything.
That is a serious consideration, and I would not suggest another power chair if the primary issue is the house.
When Automation of the Front or Rear Door is Needed or Threshold Work
The front and rear doors each deserve their own consideration as two different problems can occur in the same opening.
The first is crossing a threshold and getting over it.
The second is opening and moving through the door.
These are two different issues.
When a threshold is the issue
For a slight increase in height at an entry, one solution may be Rubber Threshold Ramps.
A threshold product provides a gradual transition for an appropriate walker, wheelchair, power chair, or scooter route.
I check what is right after the threshold anyway.
If the device clears the step but can’t turn once it is inside, then the threshold ramp has only solved the first few inches of what is a much longer route.
When clearing the door is the problem
Someone may have the ability to go close to and even cross the threshold of the doorway but may have issues with the door.
In those cases I will look at the Open Sesame Residential Door System. It is an automated system that allows the use of a door, but still allows it to be operated manually.
Automating the door opening and closing can change the experience of accessing the house for many people, especially for those for whom opening a door is a barrier.
It does not change anything else, except the operation of the door.
For this reason, I treat the operation of the door, clearing the doorway, threshold height, and circulation within the house as separate issues, as compared to treating the “front door” as a single problem.
Bathroom and Bedroom Access at the End of a Narrow Route
The mobility route cannot end halfway through the house.
Someone may have the ability to enter the front door and move through several rooms; however, that person may still have issues accessing the bedroom or bathroom that are at the rear of the mobility route.
This portion should not be overlooked.
To design a bedroom I imagine myself as the user and analyze the doorway. What happens as the user enters the room? Does there exist a clear path to the bed? Where would be the best place to park the mobility device during a transfer? Is there clear pathway?
With the bathroom, I analyze the area past the doorway.
A mobility device may be able to clear a doorway, but there could be other issues such as a difficult first turn, blocking fixtures, or there could be insufficient space for the necessary movements.
This is why I map do a shotgun style renovation, end to end, for the house.
Altering the front door won’t help much if the user still cannot get to the room they need everyday.
It’s the same case the other way around. Altering the bathroom will not help the route the user can get to.
What Happens After Products Are Placed in the Real Home?
After a product is installed or a mobility device is selected, I go back to the route.
The question now is, does the plan work in the real house?
We analyze how the user moves through the required rooms to the destination. We analyze the fit for the turns, space for parking power chair, and the charging sequence.
If a threshold product was added, we analyze that transition as part of the complete path.
If an automatic door opener was added, we show the user how to operate the modified door and make sure the user understands how the door operates in normal use.
Household traffic matters too.
A product should not discourage the use of a primary pathway by others. This is especially true in layouts with one connected room actin gas a pathway to the next room in a large, room-to-room design.
Once installed, our service and support team is available to answer any questions you may have about the equipment, to respond to any maintenance requests, or to perform any necessary repairs.
To identify what new changes should be made in a New Orleans, Arabi, Chalmette, Gentilly, or Broadmoor home, you can book a free in-home consultation. We can go walk the space to determine the true pinch points and assess if our products can address the issues. We can also determine if a different fit for our mobility devices would provide a solution, or if a change to the current set up is required.
Mobility Access in a Shotgun House: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is unique about the design for wheelchair access in a shotgun house?
One long, narrow circulation path means that pinch points in terms of one doorway, turn, threshold, or furniture that is too tight can obstruct and restrict access to other rooms in the house. I analyze the complete pathway from the front door to the room/destination.
Do I need to measure just the narrowest of the doorways?
No, a clearance measurement of just one of the doorways in a straight line may not provide access to the room, especially to approach and turn around in the confined space. All required doorways and turns need to be clear.
Can Furniture Layout Impact Wheelchair Accessibility?
yes, some instances can be resolved with the simple repositioning of furniture within the home. I tend to identify these areas for my clients and recommend accessibility equipment when the existing access can be reduced with simple obstruction removal.
Does the Use of a Compact Power Chair Provide More Accessibility In a Confined House?
yes, it might. A compact power chair increases accessibility over the length of a route but it still needs to fit through all the required openings.
Does the Installation of a Power Door Opener Eliminate the Need to Widen a Door?
No. An automatic door opener is a great alternative for assisting with the effort and coordination to open and close a door; however, it does not improve the width of the opening or provide accessibility for a door that is too close.
What Barriers Should I Look Out for Before Shotgun House Accessibility Equipment Purchasing?
Evaluate the entire route first. Look at the encompassing barriers including the doorways, the layout of the furniture, thresholds, charging, bedroom, bathroom accessibility, etc.
About the Author
Jonas Boutte is the owner of 101 Mobility of South Louisiana and has hands-on training from accessibility-equipment manufacturers including Bruno, Harmar, Stiltz, Staying Home, EZ-ACCESS, National Ramp, and others. He works with families throughout Greater New Orleans to evaluate home layouts, everyday mobility routes, and accessibility equipment from consultation through installation coordination and ongoing support.
