Toilets For The Disabled: Selling Dignity

Toilets for the disabled need the right mix of utility and aesthetic appeal

As anyone in a wheelchair can tell you, losing the use of your legs provides a near-endless list of challenges to overcome—not the least of which being making a trip to the toilet. What is usually a simple activity that most of us take for granted can often be a test of wills between you and the bathroom, one that leaves you feeling exhausted and indignant.

The installation of a disabled-friendly toilet in your home follows the same principles as the wheelchair-accessible units you find in public washrooms. The two most important elements are:

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Providing enough floor space for a wheelchair, and
Elevating the toilet itself for easy mounting from a wheelchair.

If you are a recently disabled person or have moved into a new home that didn’t previously have a wheelchair-friendly washroom, you’ll probably need to choose whether to completely redo your bathroom or make more basic modifications to the toilet itself. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

There are companies on the market offering affordable attachments and modifications that fit any standard toilet. These attachments elevate the height of the toilet while maintaining its aesthetic appeal. They can be easy to install and usually don’t require you to hire a plumber. They also come with the requisite handrails needed for easy mounting. While this option is less expensive than completely redoing your bathroom, it does nothing to solve the problem of floor space for your wheelchair. If you already have a large bathroom, this shouldn’t be an issue. But if your bathroom feels cramped even before you put a wheelchair in it, making it wheelchair-friendly will require a complete remodeling.

Looking at the layout of your home, modifying your bathroom for a wheelchair will probably involve removing counter and shelving space and potentially taking out an entire wall. If you’re looking for measurement guidelines, it’s probably best to examine the regulations for public toilets, as they have been designed to specifically meet the needs of a wheelchair. The standard dimensions for additional floor space are usually 30 inches by 48 inches, which allows for either a parallel or a forward approach to the toilet. Your average wheelchair requires a minimum of 60 inches to make a 180-degree turn, but many public toilets economize this space by providing a T-shaped design with aisles 36 inches in width.

Depending on your lack of mobility, you may also want to look into purchasing a bidet toilet or attachment, as this can offer an additional level of convenience.