Wheelchair Accessible Crib
I have been asked concerning wheelchair pregnancy and parenting, “How do you manage the crib??” Well, the crib was probably the one thing we shopped for the longest and researched the most. I thought my thesis was bad. Wow, let me tell you we did research out the “ying-yang” for a wheelchair accessible crib!
From time to time I will talk about products. This is not an endorsement of the product; but rather just a product that I found useful.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE CRIB
We wanted our son’s room to be mainstream as much as we could. Not that he would care, but we cared.
If you come into our home, you would not know that a person in a wheelchair lived there. The modifications are subtle and not in your face. We wanted the boy’s room to have this same feel.
We tried all the cribs at the stores and nothing was just right. So, I got in touch with a friend of mine from high school. He builds custom furniture and over the years we worked together on research projects that involved accessibility and furniture. He came over and along with the CEO we sketched out a few concepts for a wheelchair accessible crib, and over a few weeks we came with a design for a crib that we liked.
Read more parenting posts for wheelchair users here:
Why Is Your Dad In A Wheelchair?
Baby Crib for Wheelchair Users
The wheelchair accessible crib we chose is a full size twin sleigh bed with a removable back “wall” for when he is older and is ready for a big boy bed.
The front side is 2 swing out doors that allows me to take my son in and out of the crib easily. When the doors are closed I can lock them to prevent any escapes!
The mattress sits on a platform that is independent of the bed frame which makes it height adjustable so when the boy begins standing and walking I can lower the mattress so he can get in/out and yet still use the swing-out doors for safety. ( OK, that sounded like QVC segment.)
The wheelchair accessible crib we used was built by Alan Harp at Alan Harp Designs. http://www.alanharpdesign.com
How did you choose a wheelchair accessible crib?
Tell me in the comments below to help other wheelchair users and new parents!
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How much did it cost?
I am not in a wheelchair, but am disabled and the only accessible cribs I can find are many thousands of dollars.
It was custom built by a local craftsman. We took off the rails and use it as a guest room bed. 11 years later!
It was $3,000. Solid oak