Wheelchair Accessible :

There are several types of residential bathrooms and toilet rooms, including master baths, hall baths, and powder rooms. Design requirements for each bathroom type are different, and accessibility requirements may also vary. A homeowner might elect to design a powder room, for example, that provides wheelchair access but does not include a kneespace under the sink. Each bath and toilet should therefore be individually evaluated to determine the need for full or partial r Wheelchair Accessible Bathrooms. Most bath and toilet rooms are shared between several family members, so designs must address multiple requirements. Identifying and understanding these factors is the first step in making the right bathroom design decisions.

Finding a house that is handicap accessible or that could be easily modified is a crapshoot. I've received several e-mails from readers from around the country confirming the same thing. Often the few accessible houses become available upon the death of an elderly person who ended up needing their home modified later in life. These houses are usually adapted the easiest and cheapest way possible for the person to be able to remain living at home.

Before I begin my article on designing handicap bathrooms, I would like to explain why they are so important. At a certain point in life, bathing and hygiene can go from a pleasant routine to a painful, embarrassing hassle. It's hard enough to accept assistance in most areas of life, but in the bathroom it is especially difficult.