RollinLog's Blog

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is to grill outside. Steaks, chicken, fish, sausage, burgers, hot dogs, corn, squash, onions, peppers, and tomatoes – I do them all. In this article I will describe three ideas I have incorporated that have made it easier for me to use the grill from my wheelchair. If you use a wheelchair you may be able to benefit from these ideas as well.

When we built the house I had the contractor install a natural gas line to the spot on my patio where my grill is located. This allowed me to use a grill that works with natural gas rather than propane. Although this doesn’t make the grill any more accessible, it does eliminate the need for me to lug around propane containers when they need refilled.

It is much easier to cook effectively if you can face the grill, rather than needing to sit with the grill to your side. This is only feasible if your feet can slide under the grill allowing you to get close enough to reach all the items on the grilling surface. For this reason it is important that you select a grill with an open space under the grill box. Unfortunately many grills have a cabinet under the grill box or a shelf along the bottom; both make it impossible to conveniently access the grilling surface. Char-Broil seems to be one of the few manufacturers that make several models with an open bottom. Below is a model sold at Home Depot which is similar to the one I own.

Last weekend I finally took the time to make a modification to the grill that I’ve wanted to do for years – lower the grilling surface. Although the grill was usable it was not ideal since it was sometimes difficult to see and/or manipulate items on the grill, particularly those in the back. See the picture below for the “Before” picture of the grill.

Because of the design of my grill it was relatively easy to lower the grilling surface. First I pulled off the plastic wheels and feet from the tubular frame. Then I used a hacksaw to cut approximately 8 inches from all four tubes that make up the frame. Finally, I slipped the plastic wheels and feet back onto the shortened frame.  The “After” picture of the grill is below:

I was surprise at what a difference just 8 inches in height can make in the ease of using the grill. Now my position at the grill is much more similar to standing than sitting. I just wish I would have made this modification sooner!

If you would like optimum accessibility but would like to have a larger or higher-quality grilling unit there is another option which I hope to switch to in the future. It’s possible to purchase just the grilling unit. These are normally referred to as a Built-In or Drop-In unit. These are available at home centers and specialty stores such as Barbeques Galore.

These built-in units can be installed at any height and can have the required open space underneath as well. Unfortunately, they are quite pricey ranging from $700-$2,500+.