What Problems do ADA Compliant Washroom Fixtures Solve?

ADA compliant washroom fixtures have become a mainstay for commercial restroom design.  All new constructions and bathrooms under current renovation are now required by Federal Law to provide basic accessibility to toilets, showers (if present), hand washing stations, and commercial washroom accessories.  It is important to remember that ADA regulations cover only the basics of accessibility considerations mandated at the national level.  Many other states have additional codes of their own.  Some counties and municipalities may have even more stringent accessibility guidelines. 

We tend to overly focus on the features of these products to the point that we forget what they do.  Ultimately, the purpose of ADA design is to solve major accessibility problems that disabled persons have encountered in the past.  Without even the simplest of modifications that have now become the basics of ADA design, handicapped persons would find it nearly impossible to use a public restroom.  Knowing the exact problems that these specialized commercial washroom fixtures are intended to solve is the key to choosing the best products for any commercial, industrial, or public restroom. 

The biggest problem that disabled persons faced prior to the invention of ADA compliant washroom fixtures was the inability to comfortably access a toilet stall.  Standard stall doors, which are easy for many people to manipulate, can be impossible for people with certain disabilities to operate.  Amenities such as toilet paper are hard to reach if the dispenser is mounted at the wrong height, or if it is manufactured with an overly complicated mechanism.  Maneuvering to and from a toilet seat can be a nightmare for a person in a wheelchair if some mechanism is not installed to allow the person to balance. 

However, thanks to new engineering by manufacturers such as Bradley Corporation, ADA compliant washroom fixtures now offer disabled persons the ability to overcome each and every one of these apparently insurmountable challenges.  Toilet partition hardware selections now include latches, locks, and handles that require less than five pounds of force to open and shut.  Grab bars that mount to restroom walls and bathroom partitions allow wheelchair bound persons to safely balance themselves when moving onto a toilet and then back onto a wheelchair.  Toilet stall accessories now come with ADA modifications that allow persons with limited mobility to access toilet seat covers, toilet tissue, facial tissues, and personal hygiene supplies.

Once a handicapped user leaves the toilet stall, the next challenge they face is access to hand washing stations.  In the past, sinks had very busy plumbing systems under the bowls that prevented persons in wheelchairs from rolling their knees under the basin.  New lavatory systems solve this problem by eliminating all the piping of old china sinks.  These new basins are mounted at different elevations than other sinks and often feature unique designs that provide users with exceptional knee clearance and easy access to faucets and soap dispensers.

It is important for us to remember that every accessory type used in commercial restroom design needs to be mounted, and in some cases manufactured, with disabled persons in mind.  Mirrors, soap dispensers, hand dryers, paper towel dispensers, and even waste receptacles are essential ADA compliant washroom fixtures that every restroom needs to provide to handicapped users.