The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a set of standards that all businesses and governments must abide by. The purpose is to make those environments accessible for those with disabilities. When a room or appliance is deemed ADA compliant, that means it has been designed specifically with the disabled in mind. For that reason, the design of rooms and appliances that will be used by someone that is disabled should be ADA compliant. Here are four key aspects of a handicap accessible bathtub as mandated by the ADA.
For a bathtub to be in accordance with ADA regulations, it must have a seat available for the user. This will allow anyone using the tub to sit while they are bathing. The seat being used must be structurally sound and will not slip out of place while it is seated upon. To be in compliance with ADA standards, most handicap bathtubs on the market include seats.
As you would expect, a bathtub can be quite slippery, making it difficult for someone with mobility issues to enter or exit without support. ADA-complaint bathtubs must have a variety of grab bars, making it easier for the person to maneuver around the tub. The standards state that the tub must have two grab bars on the back wall and one on the front near the controls. Additionally, the one on the front of the tub must be vertical.
In addition to the safety features, such as seats and grab bars, ADA-compliant bathtubs must have their controls in an accessible location so that the person using the tub doesn’t have to reach for them. If the controls are not easily accessible, the disabled person could slip and fall, resulting in a serious injury. ADA standards ensure that these controls, which include changing the temperature and flow of the water, can be easily accessed to avoid any dangerous situations.
If the bathtub has a shower unit, as most modern tubs do, the shower unit must fulfill certain requirements in order to be ADA compliant. The unit must include a hand-held shower hose as well as a fixed shower head. The hose must be able to reach at least 60 inches in length to allow a variety of people to use it. Installing a handicap accessible bathtub that is ADA compliant will ensure that it meets the needs of any disabled person that might use it. These are four key requirements that allow a bathtub to be ADA compliant.