Importance of Handicap Shower Stalls

Modern technology has brought about significant changes in the way we live our daily lives. Today nearly everyone can find a product that will suit their specific needs. When I say everyone, I meant everyone. This is because almost all aspects of society are taken into consideration when manufacturers try to put together a product. Today, consumers have the luxury of multiple options if they wish to buy something.

Take the case of handicap shower stalls which is an example of a product that has empowered the physically-challenged sector of society. This is a great solution for handicaps who, in most likelihood, have had a hard time using the standard bath and shower rooms. Someone who has to use a wheelchair will definitely have difficulties and may require some form of assistance just to be able to take a bath in a standard shower stall.

Handicap shower stalls provide an excellent solution because they are specifically designed to ease the difficulties that disabled persons experience during bath time. With today’s excellent shower designs, handicapped persons will be able to do it with minimal or no assistance.

How to install

You basically have two options when it comes to installing handicap shower stalls. First is to convert your existing bathroom into a handicap-friendly bathroom. The most important detail you need to watch out for is the floor space. A shower room intended for wheelchaired individuals must have enough room for a wheelchair or a commode to maneuver in.

You will probably need professional help in the bathroom remodeling. You will need to make sure that your remodeler knows what needs to be included in a shower room intended for handicapped individuals (See below for a checklist of handicap shower room must-haves.

The second option is to get a prefabricated shower stalls made specifically for physically-challenged individuals. With these shower stalls, you get something that was built exactly for the needs of handicaps.

Below is a list of what you are getting with these stalls (This list also serves as a checklist of what you need to build into your bathroom remodeling project):

• Wheelchair accessibility via shower ramps, etc.
• A shower seat or benches where you can transfer to while taking a shower
• Shower and bathtub grab bars and hand rails
• Adjustable shower heads that can be modified to suite different heights and can be used handheld
• Provision for a convenient water mixing valve that can protect you from getting scalded
• Non-slip flooring and matting

Photo credit: http://www.americanbathind.com