Accessible Bathroom Remodel

CHALLENGE: Redesign a tiny bathroom with a raised stand-up shower, vanity sink and small doorway to accommodate a wheelchair user.

SOLUTION: Completely remodel the bathroom and install a two-wall roll-in shower, wall-hung sunk, and a sliding pocket door.

The bathroom for this project posed numerous challenges. The doorway was too narrow to allow a wheelchair through, it had a very small stand-up style shower making it unusable, the sink vanity would not accommodate a wheelchair, the toilet was too low and there was not enough room to turn the wheelchair around to exit the bathroom.

Original bathroom before construction began. Note the stand-up shower with step-up entrance, and the vanity sink in the corner. The toilet, which is just visible in the bottom right corner, was positioned too close to the doorway to widen the opening.

The vanity sink was removed from the corner and the plumbing was reversed for use with a raised toilet. Moving the toilet to the new position allowed the wall to be replaced with a pocket door creating a very large opening for wheelchair access and made the bathroom an extension of the bedroom.

The bathroom floor was replaced with new tile and push switches for the lights replaced the old flip switches for added convenience.

The reverse view from the bedroom looking into the bathroom shows there is plenty of room for a wheelchair to access the toilet. There is also room on the side of the toilet to make transfers from the chair easier. The toilet was raised 3.5 inches using a Toiletvator underneath the bottom of the toilet. The weighted shower curtains conceal the shower.

Here the shower is visible from the doorway. This is a two-wall roll-in accessible shower which utilizes a collapsible water retainer on the floor in combination with weighted shower curtains to keep water in the shower and the bathroom floors dry. The blue trim matches the surroundings.

To complete the shower installation, grab bars were added, along with a hand-held shower hose and an anti-scald device. The hand-held shower hose is easy to reach from the roll-in wheelchair and offers a 5-position shower spray.

Because there is no wall next to the toilet, a fold-down grab bar was attached to the wall behind it which provides support for use with the toilet or shower. The grab bar can be folded up and out of the way when not in use for easier wheelchair access to and from the shower. It’s important to note that all grab bars require reinforced backing for support. Because we had already removed the old shower, the wall was exposed down to the bare studs making the process easier and more cost efficient.

The previous vanity sink was replaced with a wall hung sink for better use with a wheelchair and was moved next to the shower. Wall hung sinks are a great replacement for vanities or even pedestal sinks because they allow the user to roll up and under the sink and get closer to the basin.

The new sink also replaced the older knobs with a Gooseneck Faucet and winged handles. This was a great alternative to the knobs because the handles could be pushed or pulled instead of turning, making them easier to use. The winged-handles could be operated with the palm of the hand and the Gooseneck Faucet added a higher clearance than the previous spout for cleaning urine bottles which saves trips to the kitchen sink.

An adjustable tilting mirror rounded out the sink area. This allows a wheelchair user to use the mirror from a seated position and tilts back upright when needed by a person standing.

Products Used in This Project
Below is a list of products used in this bathroom modification that link to each product on our web site.

For more information about modifying your home for improved accessibility and safety, call us toll free at (866) 902-9800.