Guides · Design
Accessible Bathroom Remodeling Ideas
The most useful accessible bathroom ideas are mostly invisible: a curbless shower, solid blocking in the walls so grab bars can go anywhere, a comfort-height toilet, a wider door, lever handles and slip-resistant tile. Done well, the room looks like a good contemporary bathroom that happens to be easy to use at any age.
Accessible design in a private home isn't governed by the ADA; the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to public and commercial spaces. The ADA Standards are still a useful reference for dimensions that have been tested for people using walkers, wheelchairs or needing support. The ideas below borrow from them where it helps.
Getting in and moving around
Door width
A clear opening of at least 32 inches is the reference for wheelchair access. Many older Miami bathroom doors are 24 or 28 inches. Options include a wider door, offset hinges that add roughly 1.5 inches of clear width, or a pocket door where the wall allows it.
Turning space
A 60-inch circle of clear floor is the reference for turning a wheelchair. That's not possible in every bathroom, and it doesn't have to be. Knee space under a floating vanity and a curbless shower floor both count toward usable space.
The shower
- Curbless entry. The floor is recessed so the shower starts at the same level as the bathroom. It depends on the structure; on a slab it's usually achievable, in some condo towers it's limited by slab thickness.
- Linear drain at the back wall so the floor slopes one way, which is easier underfoot and for a shower chair.
- Handheld shower on a slide bar that can double as a grab point only if the bar is rated for it; most aren't, so pair it with a proper grab bar.
- Controls reachable from outside the spray, set near the entry rather than under the showerhead.
- Built-in or fold-down bench around 17 to 19 inches high.
- Thermostatic valve to prevent scalding if the water pressure changes.
If there's a tub in the bathroom now, converting it is often the starting point; the tub-to-shower guide covers what changes behind the wall.
Grab bars that don't look like a hospital
Grab bars are only as good as what they're screwed into. The key idea is blocking: solid wood or metal backing installed inside the walls before they're closed, around the toilet, shower and tub. With blocking in place, bars can be added now or in years, anywhere.
- Reference height is 33 to 36 inches above the floor for horizontal bars.
- Bars now come in finishes that match the other fixtures, and some double as towel bars, toilet-roll holders or shower shelves while still being rated to support weight.
- A vertical bar at the shower entry helps with the step in and out, even with a curbless floor.
Toilet and vanity
| Element | Idea | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet | Comfort-height or wall-hung set to the user | Seat 17 to 19 in above floor |
| Toilet clearance | Room beside it for transfer or a helper | Centreline 16 to 18 in from side wall |
| Vanity | Floating, open knee space, shallow sink | Counter around 34 in for seated use |
| Faucet | Lever or touchless | Operable with one hand, no tight grip |
| Mirror | Extends down to the counter, or tilts | Usable seated and standing |
Floors: grip and continuity
Choose tile with a DCOF of 0.42 or higher for wet interior floors (the ANSI A137.1 reference), and smaller tiles or textured finishes in the shower where there are more grout lines to grip. Keep the same tile from the bathroom into the shower if you can; a change of material or colour at the entry is a trip hazard for someone with low vision. More on material choice in best bathroom flooring for humid climates.
Light and contrast
- Motion-activated low lighting at night, at the vanity toe-kick or along the floor.
- Even light at the mirror without shadows.
- Contrast between the floor and walls, and between grab bars and the wall behind them, helps people with reduced vision.
- Rocker switches at a reachable height, around 44 to 48 inches.
Plan for later, even if you don't need it now
Much of accessible design is cheap to do during a remodel and expensive to add afterwards. If you are remodeling in your fifties or sixties, it's reasonable to include blocking, a curbless or low-curb shower and a wider door now, and add bars when they're needed. Condo owners in buildings with an older population often find this helps resale too.
For a plan specific to your home or unit, see our accessible bathroom remodeling service, or read how we approach curbless and walk-in showers.