[Sivart]

You can pull everything out of the door handle hole just enough to work with it. My hands will not fit either but as long as you ease the handle out of its hole a bit you can get to everything you need to.
I pulled the door panel the first time I did a door handle only to get it back together and it rattled. Thats when I tried the vent hole toward the bottom of the door. It is much easier and quicker.