When creating an accessible bathroom for all users, some homeowners may worry about the practicality of such a task. Yet, ensuring that everyone in the home can use the bathroom with ease allows all users to feel comfortable in this space.
Fortunately, it’s simple to design a bathroom that promotes easier access for everyone to use. Better still, with just a few simple changes and improvements, it need not cost much to achieve.
Here, The Bathroom Showroom suggests tips for designing a safe and comfortable space. Helping your customer design the most accessible bathroom, we highlight the possibilities of creating a room that's not only functional but also stylish and comfortable!
From choosing the right flooring and lighting to installing grab bars, The Bathroom Showroom has got you covered.
What Is an Accessible Bathroom?
An accessible bathroom is a space that’s designed to be used with ease by those with limited or restricted mobility. An accessible bathroom can also be used by the elderly and those with temporary injuries, making it a more inclusive space for everyone in your home.
Accessible bathrooms can help prevent falls and accidents, increase independence, and improve the overall quality of life for individuals with disabilities or mobility issues.
Understanding Users Needs In The Bathroom
Before a customer starts designing an accessible bathroom, they’ll need to consider the needs of the individuals in the home. Users with reduced mobility may have difficulty standing, walking, or using their arms or legs. They may also have a greater need for increased space in certain areas of the bathroom.
Likewise, some bathroom users may need greater visual cues in the bathroom and therefore find improved lighting and textures to help them navigate this space.
By understanding the accessibility needs of the user in the home, you're better placed to create a bathroom that's safe, functional, and comfortable for everyone to use regularly.
What Makes an Accessible Bathroom? Tips for Designing an Accessible Bathroom
Designing an accessible bathroom may initially seem a daunting task, but with the right decisions, you can help your customers create a space that meets the needs of everyone in their household.
1. Choose the Right Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories
When designing an accessible bathroom, it's essential to choose fixtures and accessories that are easy to use and can be operated with minimal effort. For example, lever-style taps like Methven Amio, and iflo Astra, are good choices, especially for individuals with mobility issues or arthritis.
Wall-mounted basins like those from the Roca range and wall-hung toilets like those from the iflo Rhea collection can also be beneficial as they provide more space for individuals using wheelchairs or walkers.
Grab bars are another essential accessory in an accessible bathroom. Grab bars offer support and stability for individuals with mobility issues, helping them to move around the bathroom safely. These fittings, like the iflo Grab Rail, should be installed near the toilet, shower, and bathtub and should be able to support at least 100 kgs of weight.
There are plentiful choices to aid users while in the shower as well as just a grab rail. A Mira Shower Seat helps users shower in comfort, even when they can’t stand up for long periods. Likewise, when balancing is an issue, an anti-slip shower tray like the Kudos Connect2 creates an added element of confidence by increasing stability.
3. Select the Best Flooring Options
Flooring that is slip-resistant and easy to clean is another critical and essential aspect of an accessible bathroom. It's important to avoid rugs or mats in this space as they can easily become tripping hazards.
Textured tiles like Riverstone with a natural pebble texture underfoot can be beneficial, as they provide traction and stability for individuals with mobility issues.
Clicklux is a luxury vinyl flooring choice boasting an integrated underlay that creates warmth underfoot and aids sound insulation. Best of all it’s a hard-wearing surface, non-slip and thus a safer choice.
Help Make Your Customers’ Bathroom User-Accessible Long-Term
Finally, maintaining an accessible bathroom is essential to ensure that it remains safe and functional for everyone in the household.
Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prevent accidents and ensure that fixtures and accessories are in good working order. It's also important to check grab bars and other safety features regularly to ensure that they are securely installed and can support the weight of individuals with mobility issues.
So you can create a bathroom that meets the needs of everyone in your customer's household. Better still, by choosing The Bathroom Showroom for such fixtures and fittings you can keep costs down without compromising on safety and functionality but all the while still providing the necessary accessibility features.
If you're looking to help your customers create a more accessible bathroom, speak to us at the bathroom showroom. With over 280 showrooms and a renowned history of working with the trade, we're the experts in all things bathrooms.