Tips To Make Your Kitchen Cabinets Wheelchair Accessible

When determined to have a more organized home, particularly in kitchen spaces, maximizing every inch of available storage is crucial – especially for the wheelchair community! Wheelchair-accessible kitchen cabinets make life a whole lot easier for those who use a wheelchair by helping everyday kitchen tasks feel simple and stress-free. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), public spaces are required to be accessible—but so should your home!

In many kitchens, adding ADA-compliant features can feel overwhelming—but that’s where The Shelf King™ comes in. Our smart storage solutions, like custom pull-out shelves, make it easy to redesign your space so it actually works for you. Whether you’re reaching into deep cabinets or trying to make the most of a small kitchen, pull-out shelving can extend all your cooking essentials fully out of your cabinet—literally.

Keep reading to see how The Shelf King™ pull-out shelves can transform your kitchen into a space that’s both functional and wheelchair-friendly.

5 Tips to Make Your Cabinets more Wheelchair Accessible

Keep in mind, we’re not the pros when it comes to ADA-compliant features. However we work in cabinets often and have found the below tips to be helpful.

1. Set the Right Heights for Comfort and Access

Standard upper cabinets can be tough to reach from a wheelchair. ADA-compliant kitchens should have countertop and cabinet heights that allow easy access from a seated position.

If your current countertop height works for wheelchair users, you’re in luck—no need to replace the base cabinets. If not, you may need to remove lower cabinets and adjust the countertop height. Upper kitchen cabinets are usually placed 16–20” above the counter—great for saving space, but not so great if you’re in a wheelchair.

To keep things simple, store everyday items like flatware, pots/pans and utensils within arm’s reach, so making the most use of your counter space and lower cabinets will serve you the best.

2. Make Storage Simple with Slide-Out Shelves and Pull-out Cabinet Dividers

A popular fix? Pullout sliding shelves and pullout kitchen cabinet dividers. These let you bring items out with one easy motion, making everything from plates to mixing bowls much easier to access. When you’re done, just slide them back into place.

 It’s a smart, accessible upgrade without a full remodel. Sometimes project after project trying to convert your home to be ADA compliant can get expensive, so this is one project where you can save on cost.

3. Plan Our Workstations

When designing your kitchen, it helps to think in zones. Plan out workstations based on what you do—like prepping, cooking, cleaning, or storing food—and arrange everything within easy reach from a seated position. Keep tools, utensils, and ingredients close to where you’ll use them most. For example, store cutting boards and knives near the prep area in a pullout kitchen cabinet divider drawer and pots and pans by the stove in under cooktop pullout kitchen drawers. Making these areas accessible and organized saves time, reduces clutter, and ensures your kitchen flows smoothly for wheelchair users.

With everything within easy reach and stored with a plan, cooking and cleaning become way more comfortable and less tiring.

4. Maximize Space with Pull-Out Drawers and Corner Solutions

Pull-out shelves are a game-changer for those hard-to-reach spots in your cabinets. They let you use the whole shelf instead of just the front, so no more stretching or digging around. Everything stays visible and easy to grab.

For tricky corner cabinets, solutions like lazy Susan solutions or pullout shelves can turn wasted space into useful storage.

5. Make Your Kitchen More Wheelchair-Accessible with The Shelf King™

These wheelchair-friendly options make your kitchen way more accessible. At The Shelf King™, we customize storage to fit your needs and for a portion of the cost. Ready to upgrade? Book your free consultation today!

Conclusion: Professional Help for Wheelchair-Accessible Kitchens

Making your home comfortable starts with giving people with disabilities easy access—especially in the kitchen. While DIY is an option, getting professional help ensures the job is done right.

At The Shelf King™, we specialize in custom ADA kitchen cabinets for wheelchair users. Our expert team is dedicated to creating safe, accessible kitchens tailored just for you. With our team of experts, we make sure everything’s designed and installed perfectly for easy access and comfort.