Why Accessible Bathrooms?

Accessible Bathrooms accommodate someone with a physical disability and allow wheelchair users and people using walking aids to get around.

More and more people are transforming at least one of the bathrooms in their home to be barrier free and to offer ease of use to people with a wide range of physical abilities some with significant handicaps.

A barrier-free, bathroom design accomodates someone with a handicap. In the bathroom you have freedom of movement, making it easier and more convenient to bath, groom, and use the toilet in comfort in your own home.

Barrier-free bathrooms offer a safe solution for people who have reduced balance and mobility. As most bath and toilet rooms are shared between several family member, accessible designs must address multiple requirements. Identifying and understanding these factors is the first step in making the right bathroom design decisions. A wheelchair accessible bathroom accommodates handicapped individuals and is much safer for the entire family.

It is always a good idea to seek professional advice to analyze your unique situation. The services of interior designers, architects, and remodelers with firsthand knowledge of accessibility issues can make the renovation or building process easier.

Mary's story: Mary was having difficulty using the tub and had fallen in the bathroom. Mary called her state's Independent Living Center who referred her to an Occupational Therapist (OT) who had many useful ideas.

The OT visited with Mary at her home and made recommendations many of which could be done quickly and were relatively inexpensive to implement. With the help of her son Mike they were able to make some simple changes to Mary's bathroom that almost immediately made bathing safer and more enjoyable for Mary.

Within a week Mike had installed two grab bars to provide safety when entering or exiting the bathtub and a hand-held shower for better water control. Mary also purchased a simple bath-bench. She could now enter the tub safely by sitting on the bench outside the tub, sliding over, and then manoeuvring her legs into the tub.

Accessible bathrooms allow people with disabilities and their entire family to enjoy bathrooms which are safe, attractive, comfortable and easy to use.

Using this information may help prevent a serious injury as the majority of falls occur at home. Falls on wet slippery bathroom floors are the #1 cause of falls at home.

In residential and commercial building and remodelling universal design principles are gaining popularity and include making the bathroom experience useful to people of diverse abilities, from an elderly parent with limited mobility to an agile teenager.

The Universal Design trend is gaining momentum as the population ages and seniors seek to remain in their homes instead of moving to retirement communities. Universal design space must not only be accessible, but must look good and be appealing to many different people.

Today, accessible bathrooms come in a variety of designs and make life easier for everyone in the household to use the bathroom.

Accessible Bathrooms - Residential and Commercial

The information on this page is primarily for use in residential construction. The laws that govern barrier-free issues generally apply to the commercial market, i.e., public facilities, where a real emphasis has been placed on accessibility. Also, be aware that state-wide regulations may exist and be enforced in your area for multi-family housing developments.

For commercial applications the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), cover the construction and alteration of both private and public sector facilities. For more detailed information on these commercial applications see ADA Bathrooms, this page also contains helpful information and diagrams for ADA wheelchair turning, reaching limits, shower and stall guidelines, etc.

Doorway Widening

A straight forward method to increase accessibility is to install easy-to-grasp lever door handles on all doors.

Bathroom doors should be wide enough to allow comfortable passage. In order to accommodate a wheelchair, (a standard wheelchair is 24-27" wide), doorways should be a minimum of 32" wide. If the doorway is located in the typical hallway and requires turning a wheelchair, you'll need a 36" door, when it is open in a 90° position to provide wheelchair access. A narrower width may possibly be adequate, particularly when a bathroom door location allows a straight wheelchair approach.

Bathroom Safety Grab Bars

Grab bars are a wonderful feature in any bathroom, and make the room safer and more convenient for anyone to use.

Install grab bars next to the toilet and in bathing areas, Wall-mounted grab bars in tub/shower areas and around toilet (diameters should be 1-1/4" to 1-1/2"). The space between the grab bar and wall should be 1-1/2".

A horizontal grab bar should be placed on the wall behind the toilet, and a second one on the closet sidewall adjacent to the toilet. Grab bars should also be placed inside bathtub and shower enclosures. If you are remodeling or building new and the walls are open, be sure and provide wood blocking in the walls to simplify attachment of the grab bars.

See more information at Accessible Grab Bars.

Safe Comfortable Bathing

An inexpensive home bathing modification is adding a tub seat or transfer bench which uses the existing tub. A tub seat allows a person to sit, providing greater stability. A transfer bench outside the tub allows a person to sit on the bench outside the tub, slide over the bench, then slide their legs into the tub.

Lever controlled taps can easily be added to the shower, bathtub and sink. Adding a hand-held shower head improves water control and allows the shower to remain accessible to everyone in the family. A pressure mixing valve with anti-scald temperature controls allows for a constant water temperature, which is extremely important when the shower user has limited sensation in their bodies making them susceptible to burns.

Walk in Bath Tubs

We have all seen television advertisements for walk in bathtubs. These “sit up style” bathtubs offer people a low 4-6 inch step instead of stepping over and into a standard tub.

While walk in tubs are popular, often a safer and more economical solution is to install a roll in shower, though some people prefer to rehab at home with water or air jets creating their own personal therapeutic spa.

See more at Accessible Walk in Bathtubs

Accessible Roll in Showers

Roll-in showers, make it possible for a person with a disability to wheel into the curb-less shower, then transfer, with our without assistance to a wall mounted shower chair. Alternatively, in limited space applications, the user can transfer to a shower chair then roll into the shower stall with assistance if needed.

Installing an accessible shower stall with the shower floor level with the bathroom floor allows both handicapped individuals as well as people of all abilities to enjoy safe and comfortable bathrooms

Accessible Showers are designed for residential applications.

Accessible roll in showers fit nicely into standard bathrooms. Accessible bathtub replacement shower models have a 60" outside dimension as they are designed to utilize the bathroom framing around 5 foot tubs.

Call 1-877-947-7769

Prefabricated accessible roll in showers are available in both fibreglass and acrylic designs, these come in many sizes with residential remodelling units available to replace a standard 5' bathtub. A roll-in shower can be installed in the space allowed for a tub, although a wider space may be desirable, especially if the user will require assistance.

Many people buy Accessible Shower Bases as a pre-fab solution for the shower base. An accessible barrier-free pan can be combined with ceramic tile walls for a beautiful custom shower that will accomodate someone in a wheelchair. See ADA and Accessible Shower Bases.

Accessible Toilets

It is important that in all residential situations the users needs be determined to make the appropriate accessible bathroom modifications. Toilet heights are described as low and high seats.

An accessible toilet with a high seat is 3-5 inches higher than standard seats. This reduces the need for lowering and lifting oneself on and off the seat. Elevated toilet seats are 17" to 19" above the finished floor, compared to standard seats at 14" or 15".

High seats are ideal for ambulatory bathroom users who have difficulty getting to their feet from a sitting position.

A high seat is often not appropriate for an unassisted wheel chair user or people of shorter stature.

To permit a person to transfer from a wheelchair to a toilet ANSI and UFAS standards require variable toilet clearances depending on the approach to the toilet:

- 5' x 4'8" for a front or side approach with no lavatory next to toilet.
- 4' x 5'6" for a front or side approach with lavatory next to toilet.
- 4' x 4'8" for a side approach with lavatory next to toilet.

Roll-under Sinks and Vanities

Bathrooms are more accessible to wheelchairs if a pedestal wall-mounted sink or vanity is installed.

A roll-under sink and vanity top increases accessibility. A portion of the clear floor space located under the fixtures provides the required knee and toe clearance so that a wheelchair can be rolled up to the bathroom sink (recommended 34" maximum from top of counter to floor and 29" minimum from underside of sink to floor) with insulated hot water pipes to prevent burns. A panel could also be used under the sink to hide the plumbing and provide protection from the pipes.

Mirrors, Cabinets and Counters

Wheelchair users need low mirrors. A tilt-down mirror can be adjusted as needed by all family members.

Prescription medicine can be stored in an accessible wall cabinet with shallow shelving. Shelves should be near eye level so small print on the labels can be easily read. For wheelchair users, a vanity wing wall is an excellent medicine cabinet location.

European innovator, Granberg, designs and manufactures an adjustable lavatory that allows you to raise and lower the sink using your choice of a handheld control, remote control or manual cable system.

This allows a wheelchair user to share the bathroom sink and mirror with people of all different heights.

See more at Accessible Vanities.

GEORGE GETS RIGHT INTO THE SHOWER