Adaptive Gardening Tools for People with Disabilities

Whether you're nurturing vibrant and fragrant flowers or harvesting fresh produce, the satisfaction of watching plants grow is universal. With the right tools, people with disabilities can cultivate an abundant garden, providing a unique opportunity to connect with nature.

What Are Tools Used for Gardening?

Regardless of whether a person has a disability, there are a few basic pieces of equipment used for gardening that a person may want to invest in including:

• Gardening Apparel: Wearing gloves, an apron, and a tool belt can be beneficial. Gloves protect your skin, while an apron protects your clothes. Additionally, a gardening tool belt and apron offer convenient storage for personal belongings, gardening tools, seed starters, and harvested produce.
• A Watering System: To water your plants, you can use a watering can, a traditional hose, or an irrigation system like a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Choose the method that best suits the number of plants you have and your ability to water them independently.
• Planting Containers: When choosing plant containers, consider traditional plant pots, raised garden beds, and trellises or garden fencing, as well as vertical plant pots for vertical gardening. spaces. Keep in mind, some plants grow directly in the ground.
• Gardening Tools: A trowel, weeder, garden fork, hoe, cultivator, and pruning tool are basic gardening tools. Avid gardeners may invest in more specialized tools to suit larger gardens.
• Utility Basket: A versatile basket or tub can be used to hold various items. Tubtrug makes gardening tubs which can be used when weeding, carrying gardening tools, and transporting soil and mulch. These tubs are flexible, which may be helpful for some people with mobility disabilities, but various basket options can meet a variety of mobility needs.

How Do You Garden When Disabled?

A wheelchair accessible garden can vary in complexity. Small gardens with a few pots are generally easier to maintain with minimal equipment. Larger outdoor gardens require considerations like location, sunlight, and paved paths for mobility aid use. Depending on the garden's scale, accessibility features can range from using ergonomic gardening tools to installing an irrigation system.

What Gardening Tools Are Disability Friendly?

Gardening tasks like planting flowers with a trowel involve wrist movement, and getting close to the ground may require knee protection. Tools that reduce bending and other motions can significantly reduce strain, and increase comfort, improving the gardening experience for people with disabilities. Consider these items for your accessible garden:

• Raised Flower beds: Some brands offer raised flower beds designed for wheelchair users, which are generally more expensive than traditional ones. Checking the dimensions of standard beds is advisable, as some may be narrow enough to reach over without having to roll a wheelchair underneath. Raised flower beds are generally easier to access for those with mobility challenges.
• Adaptive Gardening Tools: A few companies make adaptive gardening tools, while others make ergonomic, spring loaded, and long or extendable handle tools. The type of tools you'll need will depend on individual mobility challenges, but brands to consider include Peta Easi-Grip, Bernini, Radius Garden, and Fiskars.
• Irrigation Systems: Individuals with disabilities can use traditional watering cans or hoses, but these can become heavy, cumbersome, and a safety hazard with mobility aids. Ideal for larger gardens, options like drip irrigation or soaker hoses provide a form of self-watering, if the hose spigot is on.
• Garden Cart: Costway offers a variety of steerable garden carts with turning seats, including a heavy-duty model with a tool tray and rear storage. Some carts can hold a utility basket like a Tubtrug, too, or have built in utility baskets. Available in multiple colors, these carts can be moved by scooting with one's feet or pulling. However, they may not be ideal for those with lower limb paralysis to push or pull the cart while using another mobility aid, as some may need to transfer from their wheelchair.
• Garden Kneeler: If you're seeking a smaller, more affordable alternative to a garden cart, consider a garden kneeler. Many kneelers offer cushioning for your knees and can be flipped to serve as seats, making them idealfor those who need both kneeling and sitting options.

How to Garden When You Are Elderly

Seniors often face mobility issues that can make gardening difficult. Luckily, many of the same principles which apply to wheelchair gardening can be applied to gardens for older adults too.

While the garden is one area that can be made accessible, many other spaces within a home can be adapted for people with disabilities, too. Check out the related articles below to learn more about enhancing accessibility throughout your living space.