Accessible Bathroom Designs for People with Disabilities

Everyone deserves a home that feels welcoming. For those with disabilities, standard home design can create a lot of risk and discomfort. Fortunately, there are a range of home improvements available that can help you or your loved ones enjoy your home in safety and comfort.

Below, you’ll learn about just some of the design ideas that you can use to make a home more accommodating. This is not a complete list of the upgrades we can make to your custom home. Our team may be able to develop custom solutions based on your needs.

Modern technology

Helpful technology can be installed into your bathroom during a new home build or major renovation. Consider the following features:

• Motion-Sensing Faucets: Motion sensors can be installed on faucets, showerheads, and other spigots to remove the necessity of hand operation. Those who have trouble reaching up or gripping can bypass these problems with motion sensors.
• Smart Toilets: These toilets employ features like touch-free automatic lids and heaters. A bidet can come included or installed separately.
• Interactive Mirrors: Interactive mirrors can be set to provide health information (monitored by wrist and other devices) and serve as an emergency help line in the case of a fall or dropped communication device that can’t be recovered. They can even be connected to home devices to allow voice control of light switches, showers, and more.

Custom walk-in & roll-in showers

Walk-in showers and roll-in showers are popular as ways to make bathrooms more accessible. With some simple advance planning of the floor plan and shower area, you can make a bathroom that can be used seamlessly.

Accessible bathroom design often starts with finding the right location on the ground floor. You want a room that can easily reached in case of any emergency. Once you’ve met that condition, you can install a range of features that make life not just easier, but luxurious.

Walk-in showers never go out of style, and they are accommodating to many people with disabilities. With these showers, make sure that the bathroom floor and entrance to the shower stall is barrier-free. These should generally not use walls at the bottom to trap in water. We use alternative, curbless shower designs to make sure water doesn’t spread when the shower is in use.

Roll-in showers are designed specifically to be wheelchair accessible, though you will need to plan the bathroom layout appropriately. Our team can fully design and plan bathroom remodeling projects to include these showers and a path of access.

There are many other basic customizations our team can handle to ensure easy access. Sliding shower doors (rather than opening outward) can reduce the range of movement needed to get in and out.

Custom faucet levels

The typical standard heights for faucets may not be helpful for wheelchair users, or people facing other challenges. Fortunately, bathroom sinks can be installed at whatever height you like when you custom-design your home. This is an upgrade that can be implemented in most spaces, even small bathrooms.

Have showerheads, soap holders, towel rods, and other amenities that are within reach for a person seated on a wheelchair or the bathroom seat. Install taps and faucets close to each other such that the person does not have to go to different corners of the bathroom to operate them.

Walk in bathtub

Walk-in tubs have become more popular with everyone, but they are an essential safety measure for some people with disabilities. These tubs with high sidewalls and seated positions serve homeowners and family members who want to be able to bathe independently without being at risk from the water.

They come with safety rods for the person to hold on as they enter and exit. The floor of the tub has anti-skid features for safety and comfort.

Custom toilet heights

Gone are the days when all toilets were the same shape and the same height. With modern bathroom trends, you are able to get a toilet that is comfortable for the person you have in mind.

To minimize the toilet seat struggle, simply establish the comfort zone of the person and get a toilet with comfortable measurements. They also come with safety bars on the side to help the person get on the seat comfortably.

Wide bathroom entrance

To make it easy for a disabled person to enter the bathroom, the door needs to be wide enough for a wheelchair to maneuver easily.

Installing a ramp helps the person to maneuver with ease. You can also ensure that the bathroom has a zero-step entrance. For the sake of privacy, consider less challenging doors such as sliding doors or wraparound curtains to cover the entrance.

 Seats and safety bars

If you have limited space for your bathroom, seats and grab bars come in handy. For added safety, install grab bars in the bathroom since a wheelchair may fit in there well.

They help the person to get around easily. If you have amenities on different levels, install bars on different levels as well. You can add seats in the bathroom to make the experience more relaxing and comfortable.

Custom sinks

Normal bathroom vanities have no space under the sink to fit a wheelchair and it is a big challenge.

To change that, you can have custom sinks that are low enough for a person in a wheelchair to reach the sink to enable them to wash their hands, their face, and even to brush their teeth. They should have enough space under the vanity for the wheelchair to fit comfortably.

Antiskid floor materials

It is wise to have skidproof floor materials in all bathrooms whether you have a disabled person in mind or not.

Disabled people, children, and the elderly are most likely to fall in bathrooms resulting in major injuries. Installing anti-skid floor coating is safe for every person using the bathroom. The safety measure should be taken on the floor, walk-in shower, as well as the tub.

Elegance and fun

A bathroom should be a little heaven in the home for you to revitalize your body as well as relax.

Do not assume that a bathroom for a disabled person should be focused on function and have no fun features at all. Install relaxing murals, fun soap and towel holders, fun lighting, mirrors, plants, and relaxing interior décor.