Accessible Housing By Design

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 5, 2014) - Designing an accessible home means making sure that every room in your house is safe and easy for people to use, regardless of age, mobility, or whether or not they have a disability.

A well-designed bathroom is an essential part of accessible house design. To help make sure your bathroom is accessible, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers the following tips:

• Locate the bathroom in a part of your home where everyone can easily get to it, such as on the main floor or near an accessible entryway.
  
  
• Make sure the floor plan and doorway to the bathroom are large enough for someone in a wheelchair to use comfortably. If you're designing a bathroom for someone who uses a walker or wheelchair, for instance, make sure there is at least 1,500 x 1,500 mm (59 x 59 inches) of manoeuvring space for turning around, as well as about 750 x 1,200 mm (30 x 47 inches) of space in front of or beside the bathtub or shower, toilet, and storage spaces.
  
  
• Place bathroom controls and fixtures within easy reach, and try to place items that are generally used together close to one another. This can help reduce people's need to move around the bathroom, especially when they are wet.
  
  
• To help prevent falls and injuries, install grab bars beside the toilet and bathtub, use a non-slip surface in the bathtub or shower, avoid using sharp edges and make sure the bathroom has sufficient lighting to help someone with a visual impairment see more easily. Bath mats should generally be avoided, as they can be a tripping hazard for people with limited vision or mobility.
  
  
• To accommodate people with different needs, or to keep pace with your own family's needs as they change over time, look for opportunities to include fixtures or design elements that can be easily adapted as needed. For example, install a showerhead on a vertical slide bar so it can be set at a variety of different heights. Install a raised toilet seat and grab bars that be folded down. And use moveable storage under the sink, so it can be removed to provide extra knee space to anyone who uses a wheelchair.
  
  
• Choose flooring, bathtubs, showers, toilets and bathroom fixtures that will be easy for you to clean and maintain, such as installing a shower that drains fully to prevent mold or ensuring your bathroom has adequate ventilation to eliminate moist air and the potential for mold or mildew growth.
  
  
• If your family includes young children, people who are forgetful or who have developmental disabilities, or people with Alzheimer's, make sure your medicines and cleaning products are stored somewhere safe and secure. You may also want to consider installing a mixing valve that will limit the temperature of your hot water and help prevent burns.
  
  

For more information

For a free copy of the "About Your House" fact sheet Accessibile Housing by Design: Bathrooms or for information on any of the other guides, fact sheets and check lists in CMHC's Accessible Housing by Design series, visit our website at www.cmhc.ca. For over 65 years, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada's national housing agency, and a source of objective, reliable housing information.

Terms and Conditions of Use of CMHC Ready-to-Use Articles

The use of Ready-to-Use Articles is governed by the Terms & Conditions set out on the Ready-to-Use Articles section of CMHC's website. Information in this article may be published in its present form and must be attributed to CMHC. Authorization to publish an article granted by this agreement is valid only for a period of one year as of the date of the creation by CMHC of that article and notwithstanding the date on which you published that article.