Adapt your home to help with disabilities

A sudden fall and a broken hip, a wounded soldier returning from Afghanistan, a heart-attack patient who can no longer manage steps -- these are just a few scenarios that can make a home seem like an obstacle course. It's situations like these that can force people to transform or adapt a house into a place that allows more freedom and independence.

In fact, 23 percent of home buyers of all ages feel that it is important to buy a house that is handicap accessible, according to a 2007 National Association of Realtors survey. And, 11 percent say they are willing to pay more for a home that can accommodate a person with a physical disability. Here are five Long Island homes on the market with features that fit the bill:

Stony Brook

22 Malvern Lane

$449,000

THE HOUSE Built in 1967, this expanded ranch has an open floor plan that includes four bedrooms and two full baths. The living room has a fireplace, and there's a sunroom as well as a den with sliding glass doors that lead to ground-floor deck. The property also has an in-ground pool.

WHAT MAKES IT ACCESSIBLE A ramp off the deck leads to the backyard. The master bedroom is on the first floor with a roll-in shower. The eat-in kitchen is custom designed with a sink and stove that roll out from under the counters, as well as two low refrigerator doors for easy use. There are oak floors throughout the house for easier maneuvering in a wheelchair. The converted garage is a handicap-accessible artist studio and office. The washer and dryer are off the kitchen.

LISTING AGENT Susan Murphy and Dawn Price, Coldwell Banker Residential, 631-941-3100

Patchogue

256 Barton Ave.

$429,000

THE HOUSE This 1985 expanded ranch has four bedrooms and three full baths. There is an eat-in kitchen, a dining room, a den, a family room and a full basement. There are French doors to the rear deck, a master bedroom with custom-designed closets, and a master bath with a granite-topped vanity, Italian tile and a Jacuzzi. There are five skylights, central air-conditioning and hardwood floors throughout.

HOW IT IS ACCESSIBLE There is a cement ramp to the back entrance and a roll-in shower, which is enclosed on three sides and open along one long side to accommodate a wheelchair.

LISTING AGENT John Antus, Coldwell Banker Distinctive Homes, 631-821-2040

Westhampton

75 Samantha Circle

$575,000; available for rent for $2,700 a month

THE HOUSE This unit in a gated, 55-plus condo community features three bedrooms, two full baths and one half-bath. There's an eat-in-kitchen, formal dining room, wood floors and a two-car attached garage. The clubhouse has an indoor and outdoor pool, gym and tennis.

HOW IT'S ACCESSIBLE There is ground-floor access and one-level living with extra-wide doors to bedrooms and baths to accommodate wheelchairs.

LISTING AGENT Jude Lyons, Westhampton Beach Real Estate, 631-288-0700

Seaford

2125 North Dr.

$369,000

THE HOUSE This 1950 expanded Cape is 2,036 square feet with five bedrooms and three full baths. The house has two eat-in kitchens, a dining room, a den, a family room and a home office. The main floor has three bedrooms, a laundry room and two baths. New owners can apply for a permit to make the upstairs an accessory apartment that includes a full bath, kitchen hookups for stove, sink and washer-dryer and two large rooms for a bedroom and living room.

HOW IT'S ACCESSIBLE The house is at ground level. The master bedroom and a bathroom are on the main floor, where there are no steps.

LISTING AGENT Donna White, RE/MAX Shores, 516-797-5700, 516-316-5781

Lake Ronkonkoma

325 A Holbrook Rd.

$419,000

THE HOUSE This custom-built 1988 Colonial has a wraparound porch. There is an eat-in kitchen with granite countertops, a formal dining room, den, a family room, a fireplace and wood floors. There are four bedrooms and four full baths, as well as a full finished basement. The house has a legal accessory apartment; however the new owners will have to apply for a new permit if they choose to rent it. It has 1 1/2 acres, and you can ask the town for a permit to keep one horse on the property.

HOW IT IS ACCESSIBLE There is a stair lift to the upstairs bedrooms.

LISTING AGENT Karen Selg, Century 21 Princeton Properties, 631-467-3800

How to make your house accessible

Whether you're looking to move to a house with handicap access, or want to modify the house you live in, there are changes that can be made, major and minor, to make life easier for a family member with a physical disability. Jim Otis, president of Otis Construction Inc., Glen Head-based custom builders and renovators, offers this advice:

1. Build an exterior ramp to bypass steps. Otis says that standard front doors can usually accommodate a wheelchair. Back or side doors may need modification. It is possible to install heating in ramps to ensure that ice and snow disappear quickly.

2. Install an automatic stair lift. It is mounted on the wall and can be built to accommodate any kind of steps. A person may still need aid getting in and out of the stair lift, he adds. It costs about $2,600 for a standard straight staircase. (If you want to rent a stair lift, it costs about $975 for a temporary three-month rental; after that, the cost is about $110 a month, says Kevin Lanning, manager of Home Medical Equipment in Garden City.)

3. For bathrooms and bedrooms, widen doors to provide easy access with a wheelchair or walker. A swing-away door hinge will also increase door width. It replaces a standard door hinge and gives about 2 more inches of clearance. A roll-in and rollout shower can be installed, as well as bathtub and shower grab bars to provide support. Tub seats allow a person to sit to take a bath or shower without having to lower him or herself. Sinks can be installed so that a wheelchair user's knees can fit under the sink and the levers are within reach. Toilet seats can be replaced with special units, or raised seats can be installed. Toilet grab bars can be installed for balance and support and safe transfer to and from a wheelchair.

4. Make kitchen upgrades. Countertops can be built to table height, and appliances can be installed into custom-built cabinets or drawers for easy reach.

5. An elevator is another option. It is much more expensive to purchase and install, and an elevator requires a home with enough room and the proper logistics to make it possible. Elevators start at about $20,000 to $30,000.