Meet the most important room - The Bathroom
When designing for accessibility, in accordance with individual functional capabilities, no location in the home is more important than the bathroom. It is often the first or the only room to need modification. The bathroom is the common denominator for all of the members of the family since independent maintenance of personal hygiene is important to every member’s sense of privacy, self- esteem and personal hygiene.
Family members and guests do not need constant reminders of the client’s disability. A person with a disability is not a patient, and therefore, institutional precedents are not appropriate. The appropriate goal is to provide, as unobtrusively as possible, precisely what is needed in order to function by including design considerations that provide adaptability to future circumstances.
Layout Considerations
The choice of fixtures, locations, and architectural solutions will be influenced by such non-physical factors as family constraints, what changes landlords will allow, and the client’s personal habits or preferences. Physical factors include the type of disability the client’s range of motion, and the physical context of the building. The bathroom is a prime location for household accidents. The combination of water and soap can easily create conditions that are hazardous to the frail, the elderly or the wheelchair user in the midst of a transfer. All surfaces and handholds should be non-slip. Water temperature should be regulated by thermostatic controls or pressure compensation devices, and the water heater should be preset at a limit of 109°F (43°C). Provide an emergency call system and emergency hardware for the door so that if an accident does occur the occupant can summon help and the helpers can get into the room. Safety must be kept firmly in mind at all stages of the design process.
Accessibility is for all, so your design should suit the needs of everyone!
Ronny Wiskin
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Comment by John Whipple on March 26, 2012 at 7:55am -
Thanks for adding me to your group Ronny. You know there is nothing that I'm more passionate about than proper bathroom construction and it is so sad that so few builders really understand the process.
What I find odd is that there is this giant leap of faith between the client and the builder and the builder and his/her trades. Often I tell builders here in Vancouver that their process is rushed or completely wrong and this does not go over so well! But it needs to be said and many times these builders are pissed when they learn all the facts.
I also think the inspection process is far to easy and like we hear on TV our building codes far to easy to reach. When it comes time for caring for your wife or husband, mom or dad or other family member you do not have the time to redo this bathroom renovation. Do it right the first time and use proper products.
Check references.
Call suppliers.
Go look at other jobs your builder has done.
A poorly built bathroom will start to self destruct often before it's even finished. This is quite common and in no other room in the house
"You get what you pay for"
JW
John Whipple
By Any Design Ltd.
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© 2012 Created by Ronny Wiskin.
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