Going to the bathroom or toilet to take care of business doesn’t seem like much of a chore except you’re someone with a disability. People with disabilities have to struggle to gain access to the restroom. People using wheelchairs or walking aids have to maneuver their way around the bathroom before they can use it, which isn’t supposed to be so. 

Fortunately, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed; an act that seeks to cater to the needs of people with disabilities when they access public facilities and even private buildings. That’s why these days, public facilities must include at least one ADA bathroom door in their restrooms to help people with disabilities.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the ADA bathroom requirements to make your bathroom ADA-compliant.

What is an ADA-compliant bathroom?

An ADA-compliant bathroom is one that’s been designed for easy access by people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law that prevents the discrimination of people with disabilities and makes public facilities easily accessible to them. Any public facilities are required to comply with the ADA. One of the ADA’s requirements is a toilet stall for each gender. Below, we’ll discuss some of the bathroom requirements for meeting up with ADA bathroom guidelines.

Signage

When you enter a bathroom, one of the common things you see around is signage. This is because there are people who are dealing with visual impairment issues. So, the use of signage is part of complying with ADA bathroom requirements. That’s why you see signs that feature raised Braille characters and pictorial symbols. This is a great way to help users find their way around the bathroom.

Grab bars

For people without disabilities, people who do not need assistance to move around easily, it’s easy to not notice the presence of grab bars in toilets or bathrooms. Grab bars are installed on the walls to help people with disabilities move around easily and support their weight. To meet the ADA requirements, grab bars must be 36 inches at the rear wall and 42 inches on the side wall. Also, for easy accessibility, they must be installed near the toilet paper stand and hand dryer and they must be waterproof, to avoid rust.

Toilet

The ADA bathroom requirements for the bathroom and the toilet are almost the same. An ADA-accessible toilet must have a width of at least 60 inches with its flush lever installed on the open side. The center of the toilet must be at least 16 to 18 inches from the side of the wall. The toilet seat must be at least 19 inches above the floor. 

Clear floor space

Another ADA feature that must be included in a bathroom is a clear floor space. This detail is often overlooked because lots of people don’t require a clear floor space to go about their business. However, an ADA bathroom must have a clear floor space of 60 inches for easy turning of an average wheelchair. Also, the space between the sink and the door should be at least 30 to 48 inches.

Conclusion

To build an ADA-compliant bathroom, you need to hire a reliable contractor who can follow all ADA rules and guidelines. At All Things Inspector, we specialize in building bathrooms while keeping up with ADA restroom door requirements. We help our clients install all ADA bathroom requirements including bathroom doors.

Contact us today to learn more about our services!