When architect Sandra Vitzthum’s mother broke her hip and had to spend six weeks in a wheelchair, Vitzthum got a real eye opener. “My mother couldn’t maneuver in her own kitchen,” says Vitzthum. “She couldn’t reach anything from her seated position, and floor spaces between her island and countertop were too narrow to fit her wheelchair.” Vitzthum looked for ways to improve the space so her mother, who is 80 years old now, could work independently in the kitchen whether she was confined to a wheelchair, using a walker, or simply losing mobility.