Call Location For Handicap Access

Even though there are regulations in place, in the United States, which calls for disability building requirements, many locations lack handicap access. Call and check if they have a handicap ramp in place that meets the regulation guidelines of at minimum 12 inches length for every 1 inch of rise. This refers to the slope of the ramp.

Ask if their hallways and aisles have enough ample room for wheelchair and scooter turns.

Check if their bathroom have rails or grab bars to provide for wheelchair to toilet transfers.

Are there elevators, platform lifts or ramps within the building complex to get from one floor level to the next?

Are there automatically opening doors or easy to push/pull doors that a wheelchair/scooter or weakened mobility person can open and close by themselves?

Bathroom Experience with Wheelchair Disability

Now you all may have been in a situation where you had to use a public bathroom but came across poor attempts at building an ADA compliant bathroom. Grab bars are all in the wrong places and things just do not work for anyone who has a handicap. This was my experience and I hope none of you ever get in this situation.

Everything seemed fine as I entered the building. The ramps were all at regulation height, extending 12 inches for every 1 inch in height. There was a landing spot for me and a push handle on the door, so I could easily get through. I had high hopes for this building because the front area was very wheelchair accessible.

For some reason, I had to check out the bathroom and see if it was also complaint with the rest of the building. Unfortunately, it was not and I was quite disappointed by the layout. First the handicap bathroom was located at the farthest area from the bathroom entrance. Inside the bathroom there was ample space but the grab bars were placed far away from the toilet, where I would actually need the use of it. Needless to say, if anyone had to use this bathroom, I could not imagine how difficult it would be just to transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet.

As I came out from the toilet area to attempt to wash my hands, there was no opening underneath the faucet for a wheelchair to slide into. Some people are unable to reach forward and activate the water, so without this empty opening, it would be impossible for anyone to wash their hands. This also increases the chances from water falling from the faucet onto the individual.

No mirrors either! There were no mirrors that showed someone from the bottom to the top. For a standing individual, you can see from the waist up. For someone sitting, you would see their face. That is not very helpful if you want to fix your attire.

Now for most people, they put their best efforts into creating a handicapped accessible building on the exterior but fail miserably on the interior. What's the point of entering a building if you are unable to use the facilities? This should be more of a learning experience for someone rather than sounding like a rant on things that went wrong. Everyone just wants to be comfortable in their surroundings. Help others by checking your environment and see if they meet the ADA requirements.

Handicap Bathroom Accessories

Handicap bathroom accessories are not only available for your home, but they are often tragically necessary. In the face of an unexpected accident or disease, or just aging, we need safety in our own homes, and bathrooms are no exception. Most slip and falls occur in either the bathroom or the kitchen. To be safe, if you are faced with the unfortunate, install handicap bathroom accessories in your home. There are many retailers and manufacturers that produce and sell handicap bathroom accessories. From handrails to transfer shower seats, you can get the needed safety without sacrificing your décor. Many manufacturers provide varying styles of handicap bathroom accessories for the home. Nobody wants their home to look like a public restroom and these manufacturers are helping greatly. If you need them, don't be ashamed. Safety is the most important thing and installing handicap bathroom accessories will surely increase the safety of your home.

Provide Handicap Access to Bathroom

For people running restaurants, there are many codes that you will want to keep your eye on because they can lead to big problems down the road. One code that stays out of the kitchen is the need to provide handicap access to your restrooms. Codes vary depending on where you operate so you will want to be sure to conform to the appropriate measures, but there are basics to the handicap bathroom that are pretty universal. Here is a basic handicap bathroom guide: You will need at least one stall in your bathroom that is wide enough to accommodate wheelchair access. Many of the handicaps need these chairs and therefore need these types of openings in a handicap bathroom. Also, you will need to install grab bars. These are metal rails that people can use to assist themselves in getting onto and off of the toilet. In a handicap bathroom, grab bars are a must. There are many other specific regulations that are far too long to list here. Look into what you need to do by contacting you state code officer and getting details.

Install Shower Seats In Bathroom

Some public restrooms provide shower facilities, and shower seats are necessary if the handicap bathrooms are going to include showers. Handicap bathroom supply stores provide folding shower seats. Provide L-shaped folding shower seats for shower stalls that are 36x36 inches (915mm) to comply with ADA restroom requirements. Mount a shower seat on the wall of the shower opposite the temperature control knobs at a height of 17-19 inches (430-485 mm) above the floor. Be sure that the seat allows enough space for a shower curtain at the front of the shower stall. Avoid skimpy seats; a shower seat and mounting device should be able to support 250 pounds.

Repair Loose Grab Bars

If you have handicap bathroom stalls in your restrooms, you need to keep safety a priority. After years of usage, these handicap restroom accessories will wear down like anything else. One of the most important handicap restroom accessories are grab bars, and they can go quickly. When you notice one of your grab bars may be getting loose from the wall, you need to address the problem immediately. Any future user could pull it completely from the wall and you could be facing serious fines and possible lawsuits. With a loose grab bar, you are often faced with totally replacing it when it loosens. These are typically anchored into the wall and if they loosen, this means the anchors have gone bad. Usually, this will mean that you will need to drill out new spaces for the wall anchors. You may be able to reuse the original grab bar once you have new anchors in place. Your bathroom safety increased with a safe grab bar. However, be sure that you don't need a whole new bar. Again, just picture the consequences of not doing it right.

Wheelchair Door Widths

When planning handicap bathroom dimensions, be sure to consider general guidelines for people with disabilities to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) restroom requirements. For example, ADA guidelines state that doors should be at least 32 inches, preferably 36 inches (915 mm) to accommodate a wheelchair in a bathroom. Door handles on handicap stalls in public restrooms should be no more than 48 inches (1220 mm) above the floor. If a public restroom cannot be designed to accommodate handicapped persons, install signage on or near the door to direct people to the closest available handicapped public restroom.

Disability Tip - Install Toilet Paper Rolls

Toilet paper rolls are the best choice for public restrooms, since they allow easy access to the toilet paper by all users of the facilities. The folded tissue style of toilet paper dispenser is not effective as a handicap bathroom fixture because it requires a finger pinching action that may be difficult for an impaired person. Install toilet tissue dispensers so the center line of the dispenser is at least 19 inches (915 mm) above the floor and so the forward edge of the dispenser is not more than 36 inches (485 mm) from the back wall of the handicap toilet.

Disability Tip - Install Automatic Dryers

An automatic dryer may be more useful as a handicap bathroom fixture than a paper towel dispenser. Touchless, motion-sensor models can be purchased from several manufacturers such as American Dryer, Sani-Flow, and Excel. If push-button dryers are installed in handicap bathrooms, they must not require more than 5 pounds of force to push, and should be operable with one hand. The start button for a handicap accessible hand dryer should be 38-40 inches (760x1220 mm) above the floor in accordance with ADA restroom requirements.

Braille on ADA Hand Dryers

Braille is a staple of ADA regulations. In most public areas, Braille is a requirement for compliance. There is also a requirement for properly approved ADA automatic hand dryers that states the instructions for use must be available in Braille on the unit. With the heat generated by hand dryers, those without sight need to have a way of knowing the proper operation without the chance of burning themselves. ADA hand dryers are only approved if there is Braille available and it contains the proper information regarding operation and temperatures. If you are purchasing automatic hand dryers for your facilities, be sure to double check that your manufacturer complies with all of the ADA requirements, including easily accessible Braille.

Common Disability Requirement Errors

Common Errors in ADA Compliance Construction

There are several mistakes that are made when building to ADA compliance construction. With restrooms and shower facilities, there are some errors that are more common than others. Here are a few to keep your eye out for on your next ADA compliant construction project.

Restrooms – Many restrooms with over five separate toilet stalls lack the required “ambulatory” stall dimensions. ADA compliant construction requires at least one stall with 36 inch wide accessibility. People with wheelchairs or canes have limited mobility and need this size to properly and safely use the restroom.

Bathing Facilities – If you provide your handicap users with a shower facility, you will use a transfer show to assist them in getting in and out of the handicap shower. There is a required size for these at 36” x 36”. You would think that the common error is in making these too small, but it is really in making them too large. When made too large, users can slide and fall off of the seat and hit the floor. There can also be complications in being able to reach the shower controls. Be on the look out for these common errors in ADA compliance construction. The fines aren't worth not following the rules extra closely.

Lightweight Trash Lids

Keep Trash Lids Lightweight In Handicap Restrooms

Choose trash receptacles with lids that don’t require more than 5 pounds of force to open, especially for handicap bathrooms that need to meet ADA restroom requirements. To allow people in wheelchairs to reach the trash receptacle from both the front and side of the chair, the opening of the trash receptacle should be 15-48 inches (380-1220 mm) above the floor. Also, when considering handicap bathroom design, place trash receptacles that protrude more than 4 inches from the wall in corners or alcoves so they don’t interfere with wheelchair mobility.

Paper Towel Dispenser Location

A paper towel dispenser is an important handicap bathroom fixture, either by itself or as an accompaniment to an automatic dryer. To meet criteria established by the Americans With Disabilities Act, install paper towel dispensers 15-48 inches (380-1,220 mm) above the floor. This height allows people in wheelchairs to access the towels by reaching forward or to the side.

Wheelchairs In Bathrooms

When you build a handicap bathroom, you must allow for enough turning space. Without the turning space, a wheelchair will not be able to maneuver around the bathroom.

One of the principles of handicap bathroom design involves allowing enough space for a wheelchair to turn around. The minimum turning space for a wheelchair is about 60 inches in diameter (1525 mm) for the average wheelchair.

When determining handicap bathroom dimensions, be sure that any wall unit, such as a hand dryer, tampon dispenser, paper towel dispenser or any other handicapped equipment that extends more than 4 inches from the wall be located between or next to other protruding fixtures such as sinks, or placed in corners or alcoves. This design strategy keeps the units from intruding on a wheelchair’s turn space and reduces the risk that visually impaired people will bump into them.

Necessity of Grab Bars

Imagine yourself without the use of your legs or lower body. Think about the performing the simplest tasks and how much harder they would be. Using the bathroom would be near the top of this list. This is why having a grab bar in a handicap restroom is so important.

A grab bar provides a handicap person with a point of leverage from which they can assist themselves on and off of the toilet. Upper body strength takes over the responsibilities that we take for granted in our lower bodies. With a grab bar, the job is still tedious, but far easier than without a grab bar.

If you have a restroom that provides handicap access, having a grab bar is the most basic of needs. Be sure to provide at least one grab bar, depending on the design of your restroom, for your handicap guests. Just go back and imagine yourself in the same position if you ever wonder why again.

Bathtub Transfer Benches Use

For anyone who needs assistance in entering and exiting their bathtub, a bathtub transfer bench is very important. Most benches require some assembly but they are simple to install. Once assembled, you can adjust the height towards your own personal preference.

If you had a total knee replacement, the bathtub bench is a must for anyone showering. It allows you to sit comfortably without placing strain on your knee or legs.

You can transfer from the wheelchair to the shower bench with no problems. Anyone who requires their own privacy and prefers independence when they are showering will love the shower benches.

The bench can stay in the shower while a normally able person takes shower. Bath tub transfer benches are perfect for families with someone who is disabled but still require standard showers. It is unnecessary to remove it.

Soap Dispenser Placement In Handicap Bathroom

A correctly placed soap dispenser is an essential handicap bathroom accessory. To accommodate people in wheelchairs, install a wall-mounted soap dispenser so that the push buttons to dispense the soap are no higher than 44 inches (1120 mm) about the floor. Also, be sure that soap dispensers in handicap bathrooms can be operated with one hand, and that they don’t require more than a few pounds of force or excessive twisting of the wrist to access the soap.