My kitchen cabinets are by far the most poorly designed attribute of my 4X4 kitchen. First off, they are above my refrigerator. How many people store items above their refrigerator? I don’t think very many! I usually use cabinets for food that does not need to be refrigerated such as, spices, chips, cookies, and things like plastic bags and aluminum foil, all of which are usually desired on a regular basis. Therefore, when I enter the kitchen in search of a cookie or chips I would like to be able to access them without having to stand on my tip toes, and while I don’t consider myself extremely tall, I don’t think I am that short either. I am 5 foot, 8 inches tall (pretty average height). However, to reach the cabinets, I have to do more than just stand on my tip toes. I actually have to pull up a chair and stand on top of it.
So you must be thinking – what would Sarah store above her fridge that is so far out of reach? That is an excellent question, and I still do not know the answer. I have come up with paper towels and water bottles for the time being. However, to store these items, I have to pull up the chair. Additionally, water bottles are heavy so I have to solicit help from my boyfriend. So when considering placing items in these cabinets, I also have to think about how heavy the item is. After it is placed there, I then have to think about it being placed securely. I wouldn’t want my boyfriend to open the cabinet and have water bottles fall on him.
Sometimes when I am very lazy and do not feel like pulling up a chair to get a fresh roll of paper towels. So, I just jump as high as I can and swipe my hand horizontally in the cabinet – praying it will knock down a roll and not a water bottle. Most of the time, this action results in the stubbing of my toe on the fridge while simultaneously having paper towel rolls fall on my head. These are most definitely the most ill designed aspect of my kitchen, for all people, regardless of disability.
These cabinets would prove completely futile for someone in a wheelchair or for someone who cannot stand up straight, and also for someone who would have trouble mounting and dismounting a chair while maintaining balance. For instance, my 75 year old grandmother would never be able to use these cabinets. She is 5’5’’ and has a very bad hip. Even if she didn’t have a bad hip, I don’t think she would have the energy to get on and off the chair, and I would be afraid for her to get on the chair and maybe fall and hurt herself. Furthermore, I would think that for someone who has a visual impairment, items are most easily accessible at or below eye level. These cabinets are way above eye level for people at average height. For people that may be tall and are able actually access the cabinets, I would have concern that they would bump their head on the ceiling. Also, when storing things in the cabinets, one has to have the strength to load and unload the items, and be sure that in the event an item may fall from the cabinet, it would not injure a passerby. Therefore these cabinets require someone with strong gross motor skills.
In essence, if I could change anything about my kitchen, it would be to lower my cabinets!
Sarah...I agree, this is quite a problem! I have definitely seen this too in apartments and I don't understand why this is done. Very few people can access things in those upper cabinets, and most have to resort to a step stool. Although I cannot think of a solution to fix those cabinets right now, I have a solution to make your life easier for the time being. If you have other cabinets in your kitchen, put what you absolutely need in those. Anything you use infrequently, put in the cabinets above the refrigerator. For example, big glass cooking dishes or pans that are not used often can be stored so they are not being accessed as often. Aside from this suggestion, these cabinets are quite a predicament! What about storing things on top of the refrigerator since it is a bit lower than the cabinets? Or maybe something can be designed so everything that you put in your cabinets sits on a shelf which can be lifted down with a rope? Seems far fetched but I am not quite sure what other solutions are possible!
ReplyDeleteSarah this is definitely an issue and one that I am quite familiar with. I am pretty short and often have trouble with shelving that is high up. This is especially tricky when there are more than one shelf in a cabinet. In order to deal with it at the apartment I currently live in, we have a two step stool. While this helps us deal with the problem, it any of us had any physical disability moving a stool and climbing up it would serve as a problem. I definitely wouldn't want to see your 75 year old grandmother try to climb our this less than stable stool.
ReplyDeleteErin and Jennie,
ReplyDeleteThank you both for your comments! I do currently use a kitchen chair but am sometimes weary of falling! A step stool would also be a great solution! Maybe I will invest in one!
thanks again girls!