Perhaps one of your family members relies on a wheelchair or walker. Perhaps elderly relatives stay with you often. Perhaps you are differently abled yourself.
Whichever the case, you might consider redesigning your bathroom to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Houses in Atlanta, unlike public spaces, don’t have to comply with ADA regulations on wheelchair accessibility. Yet why shouldn’t a bathroom remodeling project turn your home into an even easier place for family and visitors to enjoy?
Space for movement
Making it easier for people to move around drives ADA design. A wheelchair user must be able to go in, out, and around the bathroom with little to no trouble.
This starts with an accessible door: wide, easy to open and shut, and positioned near the main “stations” (the toilet, sink, and shower/tub).
Your ADA-friendly bathroom should also have adequate floor space for a wheelchair to turn in a full circle and “park” where needed. The bathroom would then have additional allowances:
- A space in front of the sink at least 30 inches wide and 48 inches deep
- A space in front of the toilet of at least 48 inches
- A space running around the tub at least 30 inches wide
For ease of movement, you could also replace tubs with “roll-in” showers. With no barriers aside from a sliding door, a roll-in shower helps a wheelchair user glide into a stall easily. It also spares the mobile elderly from clambering in and out of a tub and keeps little runaway kids from tumbling into it. Roll-in showers should have dimensions of at least 36 x 36 inches.
Fixtures for convenience
Building in space around fixtures is one thing. Making the fixtures easier to use is another.
For example, after rolling into the shower with ease, a wheelchair user can’t be expected to take a shower while in that wheelchair. A special seat, opposite the showerhead, could be installed. The shower controls would have to be reachable from that position, and the showerhead available for handheld and fixed use.
Grab bars are another fixture that make it easier for people to get around the bathroom; even people without handicaps need them to prevent falls and keep their balance. The ADA gives these guidelines:
- Grab bars by toilets should be built 33 to 36 inches from the floor
- An ordinary tub or shower should have grab bars along the walls
- A roll-in shower with a seat should have bars next to and across it; without a seat, the bars should be on all surrounding walls
The ADA also offers recommendations on how to position toilets, sinks, compartments, and mirrors to best serve the handicapped. Your Atlanta bathroom remodeling specialist can suggest how existing fixtures can be adjusted to meet these specifications – or where replacement models can be found.
Sources:
ADA-Compliant Bathroom Layouts, HGTV.com
What Is the Layout for an ADA Compliant Bathroom for Special Needs?, SFGate.com
ADA Compliant Bathroom, Houzz.com
