Around the Home

Make your home homey (and accessible)

We should all be able to access our homes and every part of it that we care about. It sucks to be blocked from entering a space in your own darn house or apartment simply because MS makes it hard, so here we’ll talk about some solutions to common challenges.

Mobility and Physical Access

These might be obvious, but they’re still often the most limiting
(feel free to shout AMEN after any that apply to you):

  • Narrow doorways or hallways that can’t accommodate a wheelchair or walker.

  • High thresholds or uneven flooring (especially between carpet and tile) that snag wheels or trip feet.

  • Steps at entryways can be a daily fight if fatigue or balance is bad (even one or two).

  • Bathrooms with small layouts, non-slip mats that don’t actually stay put, or tubs/showers that are impossible to get into.

  • Cabinets and shelves placed above shoulder height or below knee height — both terrible for people with limited reach or spasticity.

  • Laundry setups in basements or garages, requiring stairs or awkward lifting.

  • Handrails, Ramps

Accessible Home suggestions from Gretchen Hawley:

Here are a few favorites I think you’ll love:

  • Zero-entry showers: no step up or down → safer and easier whether walking, rolling, or using a mobility aid.

  • Fold-down shower chair: there when you need it, out of the way when you don’t.

  • Grab bars that blend into design: one member even turned her toilet paper holder into a disguised grab bar.

  • Shower controls at seated height: no need to stand or stretch just to adjust water.

  • Dual shower heads: handheld for sitting days, overhead for standing days.

  • Non-slip tiles + wide doors: tiny changes that make everyday movement feel more confident.

  • Nooks + reachable storage: because bending or twisting when you’re fatigued is the last thing you want to do.

Also see MSing Link podcast #257:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-msing-link/id1583587911?i=1000735335778

Dexterity and Fine Motor Barriers

When finger control or coordination decline:

  • Round doorknobs and traditional faucet handles are brutal — levers are much better.

  • Medication bottles, food jars, and zip bags can become impossible without a grip aid.

  • Small appliance buttons or touchscreens with poor tactile feedback.

  • Keys and locks — turning a key can be surprisingly exhausting or painful.

Independence and Adaptation Gaps

Even when mobility aids are available:

  • Lack of funding or landlord cooperation to modify a home (e.g., installing ramps or grab bars).

  • Social barriers, like family members moving things “to help” but actually disrupting systems that work for the person with MS.

  • Poor product design — adaptive devices that look medical rather than normal or aesthetic.

Fatigue and Energy Conservation

MS fatigue is bone-deep and unpredictable, so even accessible layouts
can fail here:

  • Poorly arranged spaces that require constant back-and-forth movement (e.g., kitchen counters too far apart).

  • Heavy or stiff doors (especially exterior ones) that demand both strength and balance.

  • Hard-to-reach light switches or outlets, leading to repeated bending or stretching.

  • Floor clutter (cords, rugs, toys, shoes) that requires constant vigilance.

Temperature Sensitivity

Many people with MS have Uhthoff’s phenomenon, where heat worsens symptoms:

  • Poor ventilation or no air conditioning, especially in kitchens or bathrooms.

  • Uninsulated rooms that trap heat.

  • Lighting or electronics that overheat small spaces.

Cognitive and Emotional Barriers

Often overlooked, but just as frustrating:

  • Cluttered or disorganized environments, which increase cognitive load and stress.

  • Poor labeling systems (e.g., storage boxes that all look the same).

  • Technology that’s supposed to “help” but requires too much troubleshooting.