23 Days in the Shower

Anyone who has a family member that suffers from a physical disability knows that showering is one of the major tasks of the day. It takes me about 1.5 hours each day to get my partner ready in the mornings. The majority of this time is spent in the shower.

I sat down and calculated this time out last week and to my amazement I will spend 23 full days in the shower in the next 12 months.

Well that really motivated me to carefully consider the design of the showers in our new house. The house is being renovated using the principals of Universal Design so that it is suitable for both able bodied and disabled people. The principals of Universal Design are:

• Principle 1: Equitable Use - The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
• Principle 2: Flexibility in Use - The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
• Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use.Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
• Principle 4: Perceptible Information - The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions of the user's sensory abilities.
• Principle 5: Tolerance for Error - The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• Principle 6: Low Physical Effort - The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
• Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use - Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility.

So using these principals we put some thought into designing the ideal shower that is going to save time and reduce effort. Here is the checklist that we developed:

Size - The shower needs to be larger than normal. It needs to accommodate a shower chair with plenty of room so an aid can circulate without having to be a contortionist. A double shower is ideal.

Floor - The floor needs to be non slip when dry and wet.

Drainage - Gutter drains are better than central drains. A gutter drain allows you to have the fall on the shower floor to fall only one way rather than two. The advantage of this is that a shower chair will sit on a floor with a one way fall without wobbling.

Approach - The approach to the shower should have no sill and there should be clear delineation between what is shower and what is bathroom.

Shower head - The shower should have both a fixed head and a hand held components.

Shelves - You can never have enough shelves for towels. Make sure they are within easy reach of the shower. Heated towel rails can save days of washing in the average year.

Doors - None is best. You can design a shower that does not need doors or curtains.

Faucet - A single mixing faucet is best. This can be operated with one hand.

Thermostat - Make sure your hot water system has a safety thermostat installed to avoid any nasty accidents.

Easy clean - Talc's , creams and lotions can make areal mess. Being able to wash or hose down the entire bathroom floor is a real time saver.

Designing our new shower to incorporate these features will not only save me days a year but make the task of showering more pleasant for all concerned.

Alex Cochran

Making life more accessible through Universal Design.

For more practical ideas on renovating using universal design principals visit:

Universal Design Renovations

http://www.universaldesignrenovations.com/wordpress/

A hands on account of the trials & tribulations we encounter renovating a house for disability access.

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