If you’re remodeling a bathroom in your home, restaurant or business, it’s important to make sure you install the best bathroom sinks and faucets so that visitors have a pleasant experience. But the best bathroom sinks and faucets aren’t just ornate, modern or durable: they’re accessible.
Remodeling a bathroom with accessibility in mind is a great way to ensure that you’ll be able to age in the same home, or accommodate friends or family members who have or may eventually have mobility issues.
If you’re remodeling a bathroom in a restaurant or store, having an accessible bathroom is a great way to accommodate all of your visitors (and avoid getting into trouble under the Americans with Disabilities Act).
When it comes to accessibility, the best bathroom sinks and faucets don’t have bathroom sink cabinets underneath so that someone in a wheelchair could roll right up to the sink to use it. ADA requirements outline a knee clearance area that’s 30 inches wide and 19 inches deep to give a disabled individual enough room to position the wheelchair in front of the sink.
The sink top shouldn’t be more than 34 inches above the floor, with 29 inches of clearance from the bottom of the sink to the floor. Sinks should also be far enough away from toilets and other bathroom obstructions that the individual can rotate and maneuver in their wheelchair to get to the sink in the first place.
When it comes to the faucets themselves, it’s important to have handles or levers that don’t require grasping to use. Long levers or handles that can be pushed and pulled rather than grasped and turned work fairly well, though often touch or motion sensors are a superior solution.
Most bathroom designers can design your sink in such a way that it’s convenient for both abled and disabled people to use.
