Choose the Right Handicap Shower Stall for Your Bathroom: Exploring 5 Design Types

There are five basic designs of handicap shower stalls, designed with different levels of physical ability in mind. Each of these has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to consider what suits individual users the best. The five types of handicap shower stalls are: Rails and Grip Bars, Lowered Threshold, Folding or Swiveling Seats, Shower Ramps, and Wet Rooms.

Rails and Grip Bars. Rails and grip bars can be installed in traditional showers, adding greatly to the disabled person’s ability to take a shower alone. These rails and grip bars must be made from heavy-duty materials that can suppor the weight of a disabled person and also allow for easy use. Shower rails can also be installed in bathrooms for wheelchair users as a means of support.

Lowered Threshold. In a handicap shower stall, the traditional threshold can be lowered from as much as a foot high to as low as four inches. This allows those with limited mobility to easily step over it and gain access to the shower.

Folding or Swiveling Seats. These specially designed seats can swivel around or fold away. The swiveling seat allows a disabled person to move the seat around more easily, while the folding seat allows for better access to the shower. Both styles of seats can be found in plain wood slats and padded, waterproof designs. For those using wheelchairs, larger fold up seats may include drain holes and be smooth enough for wheelchair users to turn their chair into the position that best faces the shower. Shower seats should be ADA approved.

Shower Ramps. Shower ramps are designed specifically for wheelchair-bound individuals, allowing them to shower in comfort. They provide a surface over which to roll a wheelchair, and are available in a variety of sizes. It is important to ensure the surface of the ramp is non-slip.

Wet Rooms. A wet room is a large shower area that has had its entire bathroom converted into a showering space. These allow disabled people plenty of room to maneuver and do away with any problems with moving over shower pan thresholds or struggling with doors. Wet rooms require the entire floor to be waterproofed and sloped to allow water to flow into the drain, and the surfaces can become very slippery which can pose a problem for those with limited mobility.

Each of these handicap shower stalls designs allow a disabled person to shower with greater comfort and autonomy. With some consideration as to which design best suits individual needs, disabled people can gain greater independence and safety in the shower.