Bathroom Fixtures for People With Disabilities

The bathrooms in most homes are designed for healthy, ambulatory people. However, it is important that disabled family members have fixtures within those bathrooms to accommodate their disability.

Doorways and Floor Space

• Bathroom doorways and floor space should be wide enough to accommodate those in wheelchairs and with walkers or crutches. This will increase mobility of the disabled person as well as decrease the possibility of stumbling or falling.

Bathtub

• To assist a disabled member in bathing, a bath-bench, safety chair and hand-held shower head can be installed. He will be able slide over onto the bench and then position himself on the chair in the tub. The chair eliminates painful or awkward movements in order to wash. The portable shower-head will allow ease in showering and rinsing. A grab bar can be installed on the side of the bathtub to make it easier for the disabled person to exit the tub safely without slipping.

Sinks

• The bathroom sink should be at a level that makes it accessible to the disabled person. In order to accommodate complete washing, a portable faucet-head can be installed. The bathroom mirror should be angled so the patient can see himself safely and without pain.

Floors

• The floors of a bathroom should be made slip-proof to accommodate anyone who uses it, but even more so for a disabled person. Non-slip flooring is vital and can include sheet vinyl flooring, which is smooth and can be easily cleaned.

Toilets

• Installing permanent grab bars on the wall next to a toilet, or portable ones if there is no adjacent wall, is a vital addition that accommodates a disabled or elderly person. You may consider installing a bidet, which is an upward spray emitting from the toilet bowl that washes the genitalia and anal area, to assist a disabled person in cleaning after a visit to the toilet.