Though not fully adapted, would suit many disabled people
3.5
3.5
Date of visit: July 2016
I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Good
It's great to find a cottage which is all ground floor, with a wet room and which accepts my dog. A few simple adaptations would help to make the cottage even more comfortable and safe for disabled people. If you can walk/stand a little, then this cottage may be suitable for you. Despite ramped entrance, wide doorways, lowered light switches etc, I doubt full time wheelchair users would manage here because of the bathroom arrangements. However you may find it suitable for you.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
After walking across the courtyard (care needed on the flagstones) there's a permanent ramp to the front door. Once inside, entrance hall area is tiled. Living room has wooden floor. Bedrooms carpeted and bathrooms tiled. I used a wheeled walker which was fine - you might need to be careful with sticks or crutches if any of the floors are wet (eg raining no outside). There are no steps inside at all, just a bit of care needed with a few loose tiles in doorways but nothing major. Sadly no ramp from back door onto patio - a shame as the garden is nice and level with nice patio furniture. I've included a photo do people can see the size of step for themselves. The kitchen has plenty of work surface, all at regular height. The oven is a low level one. The sofas and chair are quite low and hard to stand up from but there are lots and lots of cushions to prop you up if that helps.
Parking & Transport
Good
Not sure if buses come nearby but suspect not as it's so remote. We drove. There's plenty of parking right outside this and the next door cottage. I would estimate the parking bays are about twenty meters or so from the front door, across a courtyard.
Accessible Toilets
Poor
Two loos - one in en suite wet room (so handy for nighttime visits) and one in shared bathroom. One room is very small, the other very large - neither have grab rails. However I managed using the wall and my walker to hold onto when getting up. I would suggest portable aids to assist I use of the loos and showers (see below). The wet room shower area has a pebbled floor - which wasn't slippery. As it was a small shower i could use walls to balance. There was a shortage of places to put shampoo etc so used walker. Shower in shared bathroom ironically as a fixed seat but a 12 inch step up in
Staff
0Not staffed.
Additional Information
My suggestion would be a portable toilet frame and shower seat. Both could be kept in utility room when not needed and avoid the need for permanent fixings. A ramp at the back door would also be great if it's physically possible. This would help make the cottage even more usable. I hope the owners don't feel I'm being hypercritical - I would certainly go here again and hope other people with similar needs to me might also feel it would meet their needs. However a few simple changes would make all the difference.
