Making Your Holiday Home Safe
The holidays are a wonderful opportunity for entertaining. But when preparing your home for the holidays, it is important to keep in mind that all those lovely decorations may prove hazardous to individuals with vision impairment. If you or your guests have a vision impairment, that doesn't mean you or they shouldn't join in the holiday festivities. But taking a few simple precautions can help prevent accidents and ensure that you and your guests have a safe and happy holiday season.
- When setting up holiday trees and other decorations that require
electricity, tape electrical cords against the wall with electrical
tape. This prevents people from accidentally tripping over cords. Be
sure that cords are not frayed and that they don't get wet. It is also
a good idea to plug strings of light into a surge protector, which can
be controlled more readily.
- If you have a live tree, consider ways to water it without
creating a safety hazard -- or a mess. For example, you can use a
plastic bottle with the bottom removed, inserting it into the base
holding the tree, or try a funnel with a long neck for easy access
(such as what's used to fill a car engine with motor oil), inserting
the neck of the funnel into the reservoir at the base of the
tree. Also, keep the tree up for a minimal amount of time. As soon as
it begins to drop its needles, that's a signal that the tree should be
removed. The drier the tree, the greater the risk of fire.
- If you are using lighted candles, be sure to place them on a
fireproof tray and keep a saucer or other receptacle filled with water
nearby in case of an accident.
- Secure throw rugs with non-skid rug pads or rug tape to eliminate falls. This is especially useful in bathrooms and doorways.
- Corners of coffee tables may have sharp edges that can be
difficult to see. To prevent bruises and falls, place the coffee table
on an area rug. This arrangement offers increased contrast, as well as
visual and tactile clues to the table's presence.
- Remind your family to keep furniture in the same place, and to put kitchen and other items back in their places.
- Keep cabinet and closet doors either fully closed or fully
open. Doors left partially open are unsafe and can cause
accidents. Place contrasting tape on the insides or backs of cabinet
doors to help identify one that is open.
- Thresholds and steps sometimes are hard to see. Use
contrasting paint, safety tape or tread strips to highlight these areas -- especially the first and last steps on a stairway.
- To help navigate walkways and steps, be sure that lighting is
adequate outside your home, particularly during the long winter nights.