| Designing for Disabilities |
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For most consumers, designing for disabilities isn’t an issue. However, it should be considered be anyone who is remodeling a bathroom or other home component. In many cases a minor change to plans can enhance accessibility for the disabled as well as the limited. It can be a real benefit if you or someone in your family becomes injured, incapacitated, or limited in movement. A skiing accident can be less limiting if you have a bathroom that accommodates a wheelchair or makes it easier for someone with a cast to get in and out of a tub or on to a toilet. In addition, your home is more saleable if equipped with a bathroom accessible by the disabled. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 included many pages of specifications and guidelines on designing for people with physical limitations. If needed you can get a copy of it through larger bookstores. The guidelines are extensive and cover everything from bathrooms to parking. Here are some basic tips on making your remodeled bathroom more accessible by everyone: * Doorways should be at least 32 in. wide. * Include a clear floor space circle of at least 60 in. diameter for turning a wheelchair for access to toilet and bath. * Install a grab bar 33 in. to 36 in. above the floor on the back and side wall of bath tubs and showers. * Consider installing a roll-in shower with no front edge specifically designed for wheelchair access. * Install grab bars at one side of and behind the toilet per ADA guidelines. * Include lavatory sinks that can be accessed by users in wheelchairs. Remodeling Tips Guidelines for complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act are available on the Internet at www.adaproject.org. There are many other guidelines and specifics, more so for bathrooms that are available to the general public. However, there are things you can do to make your home bathroom more accessible to the disabled by designing them in. Many are relatively inexpensive and can be invaluable to users. Also look at specialized fixtures for the disabled (tubs, showers, toilets, lavatories) as you go shopping for your bathroom remodeling components.
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