Wheelchair Accessible Shower

wheelchair accessible tips > wheelchair accessible shower tips

A Wheelchair Accessible Shower Allows the Disabled to Feel Confident and Independent

After a long, tiring day, nothing feels better than a hot shower. However, if you're one of the thousands of individuals that are confined to a wheelchair, bath time can be nothing but a time of stress and frustration. These people obviously aren't able to stand up and walk into a standard shower; therefore, for them to enjoy the same independence and release of stress like the rest of us do, they need to have special wheelchair accessible showers at their disposal. Since the vast majority of homes don't come equipped with bathrooms like this, the rooms need to be adapted so that the disabled can have the mobility and freedom needed to take care of their own needs.

Usually the biggest difficulty in building a wheelchair accessible roll-in shower is the lack of space. Most bathrooms aren't overly large, and the only space that is usually available for a special shower is the area where the tub is currently located. Although a wheelchair will fit into this amount of space, it may be difficult, or even impossible, for the person to manuever in the small area. If there are options for opening up the room even further, such as removing a linen closet, this will help. A small roll-in shower is going to mean that a lot of water will spill over onto the floor, too.

Most showers have a lip that keeps the water from running out on the floor; however, a roll-in shower can't have one. This will mean that the bathtub drain will need to be lowered so that there is better run-off. You will have to remove the flooring and subflooring under the tub in order to add a rubber shower pan and the floor of the new shower and still keep them flush with the rest of the bathroom floor. With a lot of work, this task can be accomplished so that there is a seamless transition from floor to shower meaning that someone in a wheelchair can take a shower without assistance.

Just as with standard bathtubs and shower enclosures, you can find roll-in showers that have been prefabricated out of fiberglass and acrylic. Some of these are meant to fit exactly where your tub is with only a minimal amount of drain adjustment. Once again, this space will be tight for a wheelchair. If you have room in your bath, you can find pre-made showers in different sizes which will be more user-friendly.

Everyone, including people with handicaps, want the freedom and independence to take care of their own basic needs. Many feel degraded and lack self esteem because of their dependency on others for even the most personal care. Therefore, anything you can do to help them live unassisted will raise their self-confidence level and help them to live fuller lives