In 1990, the United States government passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, commonly known as ADA. ADA sets forth guidelines for architects, engineers and contractors on the design and construction of public buildings, requiring equal access for those with disabilities. One of the areas that ADA encompasses is the accessibility of bathrooms, including those with showers. A bathroom with a shower must meet special ADA requirements in order to be usable and safe for someone with a disability.
Size and Clearance
An ADA-compliant shower stall must be a minimum of 36 inches by 36 inches in size. It is required to have 48 inches by 36 inches of clear space in front of the shower opening to allow for a side approach and transfer from a wheelchair to the shower seat. If no shower seat is provided, then the shower stall shall be 60 inches in width and 30 inches deep. In this case, the clearance in front of the shower opening must be 60 inches by 36 inches to allow for a wheelchair to roll into the shower.
Grab Bars and Seats
ADA requires a bathroom with a shower to have grab bars. Grab bars must be mounted at a position between 33 inches and 36 inches above the finished floor. In a stall containing a shower seat, the grab bars shall be located on the wall opposite the seat and on the wall adjacent to the seat. The grab bars in a roll-in shower shall be located on all three walls. Continuous grab bars are allowed. The shower seat shall be 18 inches above the finished floor and must extend the whole length of the wall.
Controls
ADA-compliant shower stall controls shall be mounted between 38 inches and 48 inches above the finished floor. In stalls that have the shower seat, the controls shall be mounted on the wall opposite the seat and mounted no more than 18 inches from the opening side. In stalls that allow for a wheelchair to roll into the shower, the controls shall be mounted no more than 27 inches from the opening side. The controls must be operable with one hand and not require any tight grabbing, pinching or twisting of the wrist. ADA specifies that no more than five foot-pounds of force be required to activate the controls.
Tags: inches inches, shower seat, above finished, above finished floor, controls shall, controls shall mounted, finished floor