Comfort and convenience are
important bathroom design elements – and everyone should benefit from them
equally. Accessible
bathrooms make this possible. Everyone can use an accessible bathroom,
including those with limited mobility caused by issues related to old age, for
example, or because they use a wheelchair. In accessible bathrooms, potential obstacles for
these users have been removed. But what are some key considerations when
planning an accessible
bathroom? What elements make a bathroom accessible? We have gathered all of the relevant
information for you below.
How do I go about planning an accessible bathroom?
How Do I Go About Planning an Accessible Bathroom?
Just
as when planning any bathroom, the first step in planning an accessible bathroom is to
think about what your requirements are and how the room can meet these needs.
At this point, the first question is whether to plan your accessible bathroom in
accordance with applicable standards. Doing so will be a requirement for many
government subsidies, as well as for bathrooms in restaurants, hotels and
public places that will be labeled as accessible bathrooms.
This is obviously not a
concern if the bathroom you're planning will be exclusively for private use.
For example, you might consider planning a bathroom for seniors, which is not necessarily an accessible bathroom, but may
be more than enough for your current needs and into the future.
General recommendations for an accessible bathroom
General Recommendations For an Accessible Bathroom
Although individual needs and requirements will demand different solutions, there are always a lot of overlaps when planning an accessible bathroom. The following points are generally very helpful – and they often make bathroom use more comfortable, even for those who do not need an accessible bathroom.
Adequate space:
Providing space makes it
possible to maneuver a walker or wheelchair and allows enough room for a second
person to come in and provide support if necessary. An accessible bathroom is still possible in a small room, but it will
require detailed planning.
Grab bars or support rails:
In addition to providing support for standing, sitting down and getting back up again, they can also help the visually impaired orient themselves within the room. Make sure that these support handles can hold a person's entire bodyweight, and make sure they are anchored with this in mind.
Remove or reduce thresholds and entry barriers:
If possible, doors should
not have a threshold at all. Even in an accessible bathroom with a shower or a bathtub, thresholds should be
avoided altogether whenever possible. Alternatively, aids will be needed at the
entrance.
Non-slip flooring:
This reduces the risk of falls in
the bathroom in general, and in the shower or bathtub in particular.
Bright lighting:
An accessible bathroom needs to have good
lighting. Providing a high degree of contrast should be taken into account in
order to make shapes and outlines easier to see.
Everything within easy reach:
It's not just the necessary
bathroom items that should be within easy reach in an accessible bathroom, but also the light
switches, outlets, door handles, and faucets.
Appropriate doors and door areas:
Doors in accessible bathrooms
should open outward. This ensures that the door won't be blocked in the event
of a fall. The door should also be easy to open. In addition, there needs to be
enough space behind and in front of the door for maneuvering a walker or a
wheelchair.
Accessible bathrooms for seniors, wheelchair users and those with impaired mobility
Accessible Bathrooms For Seniors, Wheelchair Users and Those With Impaired Mobility
When
people talk about accessible
bathrooms, they might mean very different things. For this reason, it
often makes sense to talk about them separately as being accessible for seniors, wheelchair users or those with impaired mobility.
There will always be some overlap, of course, and the different needs are in no
way mutually exclusive.
Bathrooms designed for seniors:
The best way to design a bathroom that is accessible for
seniors is to start with the general tips. The most important
consideration is preventing falls and providing aid for sitting down and
getting back up again. A walk-in shower
with a curbless entry is also very
helpful. If a walker is used, an accessible sink will prove useful as well.
Wheelchair accessible bathrooms:
If your accessible bathroom needs
to be wheelchair accessible, an accessible sink is a must. Of course, there also needs to be
enough space in the rest of the bathroom as well. Lifts for the bathtub are
also available.
Accessible bathrooms:
Accessible bathrooms can, of course, have many different
requirements. For people with visual impairments, for example, it is crucial
for obstacles like thresholds to be minimized and they need to be able to
orient themselves easily, while other people will have different needs. A call
button may be especially helpful in such instances. In many cases, a call
button will also be useful in wheelchair-accessible
bathrooms and for seniors.
Accessible showers
Accessible Showers
In an accessible bathroom, the shower should be installed at
floor level without a curb. For a wheelchair-accessible shower, care also needs to be taken to make
sure that a wheelchair can easily get into the shower area and that, if there
is a shower door, it opens wide enough. If those who will be using the shower
are unable to stand for long periods of time, freestanding and wall-mounted
(also foldaway) shower chairs are available. In addition, accessible grab bars should
be installed both horizontally and vertically in the shower to provide the best
possible options for holding and supporting oneself.
Accessible bathtubs
Accessible Bathtubs
Accessible bathtubs
are far less complicated to install than people often assume. And bathtubs for seniors are just
as easy to install. An accessible
walk-in bathtub with
shower and a door is often a bona fide all-round
solution for accessible
bathrooms. However, a bath lift is recommended for wheelchair-accessible
bathrooms. As is the case with accessible
showers, horizontal and vertical grab bars and supports are a must.
Accessible toilets
Accessible Toilets
Support
bars are also essential for accessible
toilets to make sitting down and getting back up again easier. The
appropriate height and length also need to be taken into account for a wheelchair-accessible toilet.
The toilet should not be too short to make it easier to transfer from the
wheelchair to the toilet and back again independently. The perfect height will
always depend on the size of the person using it. A height-adjustable toilet is
an ideal solution.
Our tipp:
Shower toilets in particular are recommended for accessible bathrooms. The
ease of use prevents potential difficulties – such as those caused by impaired
motor function, for example – when using the toilet, and the high level of
hygiene is an added bonus. Everyone else who uses the accessible bathroom will also benefit from
the increased hygiene in addition to the general comfort and convenience of a
shower toilet.
Accessible sink area
Accessible Sink Area
The accessibility of
the faucets and all of the other necessary items is crucial for the sink areas
in accessible bathrooms.
As is the case with accessible
toilets, a height adjustment feature will help to make a sink more accessible. Accessible vanities that a
wheelchair can roll under are also much easier to use. The sink itself also
needs to be big enough to allow for easy use.
Legal framework and financing for accessible bathrooms
Legal Framework and Financing For Accessible Bathrooms
Even
though the term accessible
bathroom is often used differently in everyday speech, it is clearly
defined from a legal perspective. In this respect, specific requirements will
often need to be met in order to qualify for certain financing options.
Legal:
For accessible bathrooms in the legal sense,
applicable dimensions in the ADA standard will generally need to be met,
depending on the jurisdiction. The standard version of the ADA guidelines
contains additional provisions for wheelchair-accessible bathrooms as well. If a bathroom is intended
for use in the hospitality industry (such as in a restaurant or a vacation
rental), the bathroom will likely need to comply with the ADA standard in order
to be declared accessible.
Financial:
Most of the programs that
cover accessible bathrooms
will require the bathroom to comply with ADA guidelines. There are often
several possibilities for subsidies and tax deductions when you convert your bathroom to make it accessible.
Check with Medicaid, the VA, and state and local housing programs. You may also
qualify for (partial) financing from your health insurance company for
individual changes, for example, if you convert to a curbless shower for seniors, or for purchases
like shower chairs. A written recommendation from your doctor will usually be
required for this.