A Complete Guide to Building a Wheel Chair Accessible Garden Bed

Sep 17, 2024 | News

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AMBUCS is dedicated to fostering mobility, independence, and promoting awareness on creating a more accessible world. Here’s a fantastic example of ingenuity and compassion from Michigan resident and friend, Paige Kitts.

A Complete Guide to Building a Wheelchair Accessible Garden Bed

A Girl Scout Gold Award Project by Paige Kitts

This build was created as a part of my Girl Scout Gold Award project. I decided to design this garden bed because I saw there was an unmet need among the disabled population for opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and engage in their communities. When I searched the internet for designs for garden beds for wheelchair users, I was unable to find an option that was affordable and accommodating for those who have limited reach. This garden bed is designed with two levels so a wheelchair can easily slide underneath, and two separate “cut out” areas so the wheelchair user can reach plants to the left, right, and in front of them with ease.

Why decide to build a wheelchair accessible garden bed? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, 78.7% of persons with a disability were unemployed. This points to financial dependence on others, but less obvious is the fact that, in many cases, those with disabilities are dependent on others for every aspect of their life. Gardening is an opportunity that allows people to be the caretaker rather than always the taken-care-of. This change in roles allows for an increase in self-esteem and the feeling of contributing something meaningful to one’s community. An additional benefit for the garden bed user comes simply from being outdoors. Studies have shown that being in nature has a multitude of benefits. These include reduction of stress, better control over attention span, and more positive social interactions.

Together, the physical and cognitive benefits of farming make this garden bed a wonderful addition to any space hoping to support people with disabilities.

Materials

  • When calculating the amount of wood needed, I included spare pieces in the materials list to account for any mistakes made while cutting.
  • The wood MUST be pressure If it is not, the garden bed will be more susceptible to damage and will not last as long as it will if pressure treated.
  • When selecting boards, try to select straighter pieces. Severely bent or warped boards can compromise the stability of the project and make it harder to put Also make sure none of the boards are cracked!
  • Overall, the cost of purchasing the wood, screws, soil, and gravel should be roughly $400 (2024 cost) but will vary from store to store.
    I recommend keeping all scrap pieces until you are completely done; some pieces will come in handy later!

Lumber

(4) 4x4x8′ PT #2 Ground Contact PT

(1) 2x8x10′ PT #2 Ground Contact PT

(3) 2x8x8′ PT #2 Ground Contact PT

(3) 2x6x10′ #2 Ground Contact PT

(3) 2x6x8′ #2 Ground Contact PT

(2) 4x8x1/2″ CDX Ground Contact Plywood PT

(2) 1x2x8′ PT

Building Supplies

(1) #10×3-1/2″ Star Flat-Head Wood Deck Screws (5 lbs pack)

(1) #8×1-5/8″ Philips Bugle-Head Course Thread Sharp Point Exterior Screws (1 lbs pack)

(8) 50 qt Potting Soil Mix Miracle Gro

(2) 50lb bags of pea gravel

Tools

  • Table and circular saw
  • Jigsaw
  • Speed square
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • Level
  • Drill: Must have bits that work with screws and a roughly 5/16 in drill bit for drainage holes (does not need to be exact)
  • Shovels for moving dirt
  • Wheelbarrow for moving dirt and gravel
  • Post hole digger

Instructions

Included are the full architectural drawings for reference. Notice how there are two “levels,” an upper and a lower. The upper level (UL) deck extends farther out than the lower level (LL) deck in order to make a place for a wheelchair to slide into

Cutting

 

Before cutting each board:

  • Look to make sure it is not cracked and that it is the correct Wood from hardware stores come with an extra inch or so because the ends are not always cut across at a perfect angle. To fix this, use a speed square to make sure the edges are even. Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhWpuWvtEA) is a short video explaining how to use it. From 0:30 to 1:20 is the part of the video that explains what you need to do for this project.

 

After cutting each board:

  • Mark the end with an x to show that it has already been cut to
  • Label each board after it is cut to This will help prevent later confusion and make the production process faster. To do this, write the following on the board itself in pencil:

The dimensions of the cut board, which tier or deck it is in (LL or UL), and which side of the bed it goes on (front, back, or side).

Lower Level Deck

(1) 2x6x10’ – Cut to exactly 10’. Mark as 2x6x10’ LL rear.

(1) 2x6x8’ – Cut two 1’-10” (22”) pieces. Mark each as 2x6x1’-10” LL side.

(1) 2x6x10’ – Cut to 9’-9”. Mark as 2x6x9’-9” LL front.

(1) 2x6x8’ – Cut four 16-1/2” long pieces for joists.

 

Upper Level Deck

(1) 2x8x10′ – Cut to exactly 10’. Mark as 2x8x10’ UL rear.

(1) 2x8x10′ – Cut into two 2x8x2’-9” pieces. Mark as 2x8x2‘-9” UL side.

Use the leftover from the 2x8x10’ to make: two 2x8x1’-3” UL front and two 2x8x8” UL front.

(1) 2x8x8’ – Cut into three 2x8x2’-6” pieces. Mark as 2x8x2’-6” UL front.

Foundation

(3) 4x4x8’ – Cut each 4x4x8’ in half to make a total of six 4x4x4’ posts. Take one aside and cut 7” off to make it a 4x4x3’-7”. This will be the front middle post

Plywood

Use a circular saw and jigsaw to cut the plywood to the appropriate size and shape. It may not fit perfectly around the posts the first time so don’t be afraid to make adjustments as needed when putting everything together. The left side of the diagram below shows the dimensions of each cutout, and the right side shows how to arrange the pieces to be cut out of the plywood sheet. Parts A and B will go on the lower level, and parts C and D will go on the upper level.

Drilling/Assembly

  • Use the #10×3-1/2″ Star Flat-Head Wood Deck Screws (the longer screws) to make the
  • Use the #8×1-5/8″ Philips Bugle-Head Course Thread Sharp Point Exterior (shorter) screws when attaching the plywood base to the frame.

Level Deck

Screw together two 2x6x10’ and two 2x6x1’-10” for the LL deck as shown. Use two screws at each connection. Once the main frame is together, install the 1′-4 1/2″ pieces every 2 feet on-center. They will act as joists and support the weight of the pea stone, soil, and plantings when installed. (see right)

Upper Level Deck

For the UL deck, you will want to use three screws at each connection. Connect the boards as shown below, adding cut pieces of the 1x2x8’. Make two at 2′-1″ length and two at 2′-9″ length (center) for added stability during construction. (photos below

Final Assembly

Posts

Use a post hole digger to make 6 holes in the ground to place the posts in. Use the measuring tape to make sure the holes are the appropriate distance apart from one another. The distance between the front and back row of posts should be 1’-6 ½”. Measure from the center of the post to center of the post hole for accurate measurements. The distance of the posts from the leftmost post to the rightmost post should be 9’-5 1/2”, with the middle posts halfway between them at 4’-8 3/4”. The holes should be roughly 1’-2” deep. Make sure the shorter pole is placed in the middle of the side closer to the wheelchair slide-in spots (the front). Use scrap pieces of wood to use as “stopper” pieces and drill them in the sides of the post 1’-1” below the top of the 4×4 post (see left). In a later step, the lower level deck will slide to rest on the stoppers so it can be held in place while it is drilled to the posts.

Plywood and Assembly

Attach the cut out pieces of plywood to the UL and LL decks using the shorter screws at 6” intervals. Shown is the LL deck (see right). Use the diagram on page 3 and the bottom of page 4 to direct placement. 

Slide the LL deck assembly over the posts until it rests on the stopper pieces. If needed, adjust the cutouts around the posts with a jigsaw in order to make it fit. Screw the LL to the post. Do the same for the UL. On the next page, see an instance where I needed to use the jigsaw (left) and how the lower level will look once slid on the posts (middle and left). There are only 5 posts in the picture on the right. This is because we forgot to put the shorter post in the ground and had to put it in later! You should have all six posts in the ground at this stage. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Finishing touches

There will be slight gaps in the sides between the UL and LL decks. Fasten pieces of 1x2x8’ over the gap to keep dirt from falling out as seen here. The left is before installation, and the right is after.

Drill holes in the plywood spaced every three inches for drainage purposes. Use a 5/16 drill bit or similar. (see right)

Put a layer of gravel on the bottom of each layer a few inches deep. Make sure it is evenly distributed. This will also help with drainage and prevent the wood from rotting. Next, fill the garden bed with soil and it will be ready for plants!