How to Design Bathrooms for Mobility

Designing a bathroom for mobility requires considering what issues need to be addressed for the user. A wheelchair user needs space to get around, and an elderly person needs to be able to safely enter the tub. Temporary disabilities can be addressed with some simple equipment. Long-term mobility issues must be addressed with more permanent solutions. Ease of use and safety are the primary concerns when designing both private and public bathrooms for mobility.

Things You'll Need

• Nonslip floor covering Grab bars Bath seat Roll-in shower Walk-through tub Mobility aids

Instructions

1. Leave a 60-inch-diameter clearance for wheelchairs to make full turns. Part of the clearance can be in open space underneath the sink as long as there's enough room for legs and feet. Widen the doorway by a minimum of 2 feet, and remove the sill.

2. 

   Install fixtures at heights that are accessible for wheelchair users. Use long lever-type faucet handles or a single handle in sinks and tubs. Toilets should have a minimum of 30 inches clearance from the floor to the bottom of the seat. Vanities should have at least 27 to 29 inches of clearance, and be unobstructed underneath and at the sides.

3. Place bathroom cabinets on the floor rather than hanging them from the walls so that they can be reached. Finish the floor with a nonslippery surface that will prevent falls but won't make wheelchair use difficult.

4. 

   Place grab bars near toilets, bathtubs and showers, and on long walls. Grab bars can be either wall- or floor-mounted, and should be installed by a professional.

5. 

   Make a shower or bath seat available to handicapped users. Put a transfer seat next to the tub for movement into the tub from a wheelchair. Bath lifts are also available for lifting people with limited mobility into and out of the tub.

6. 

   Install a roll-in shower or walk-through tub. Roll-in showers don't have a lip so a wheelchair or shower chair, which is similar to a wheelchair, can be maneuvered into the shower. Walk-through tubs have a door cut out of the side so there's no need to step over the side of the tub.

Tips & Warnings

• Bathroom faucets should not require more than 5 lb. of force to operate. Furnish the bathroom with bathroom accessibility aids, like long-handled sponges, foot washers and pressure-relief cushions for the tub.

Resources

• Handicapped Bathroom Remodeling
• Accessible Bathroom Products
• Links to Articles for Accessibility Designing