Master Bathroom Remodel for Wheelchair Accessibility

Making adjustments to your bathroom becomes necessary when a family member suddenly becomes wheel chair bound or needs care and your home is the best solution.  This is a time when your house will need some adjustments to make your life easier.

Measure your current bathroom.  One of the first decisions to be made is if a wall will need to be moved to allow for adequate accessibility.  The decision to increase the floor space of the bathroom may save hours of future frustration.  According to remodeling concepts, it is recommended that at least 60”diameter of space be allocated for wheelchair movement in the center of a bathroom.

Widening the doorway to allow adequate easement into the bathroom will help the handicap person freely self-maneuver. Although a minimum of 32” is needed, it is best to allow 36”, depending on the angle in which the wheel chair must enter.

One thing often overlooked when remodeling is the need to reinforce the walls prior to installing grab bars.  This will safely allow the wheel chair bound person to transfer from chair to toilet or shower seat independently and safely.

Remodeling the shower for wheelchair access can be done in a few different ways:

• Replacing the existing shower with a specially designed insert
• Redesigning the current shower with a wider entrance

Besides the shower and widening the doorway, there are other adjustments that will help make your bathroom easier to use for a wheelchair bound person:

• Raising the toilet seat (or replacing with an ADA compliant model)
• Replacing existing sinks to allow easier wheel chair maneuvering
• Removing or replacing current cabinets to give more space
• Installing tilted mirrors
• Changing hardware on cabinets for easier gripping.

These simple changes can make a big difference!