Wheelchair-accessible Tumbleweed style tiny house- bathroom design

[eenie114]

Hi,
My grandmother may be needed to move to a new family member's home to receive the care she needs. An option currently being discussed is building her a "tiny house" on a utility trailer with a ramp, similar in design to the Tumbleweed houses. http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

It wouldn't need to be a fully functional house, just a bathroom and bedroom, (on the main level, no lofts except perhaps for storage, but that would only need to be accessible to the caregiver)her computer and TV, and maybe a mini-fridge and microwave if space allowed. That would be an extra luxury if space allowed but not a necessity, as her caregiver will prepare her meals.

The difficulty we are running into is creating a wheelchair-accessible bathroom with adequate turn-around space. The ADA guidelines I have been reading say, "Provide for an open area within the bathroom that's at least 5 feet in diameter to allow for easy turning. Also provide 4 feet of clear space in front of each fixture, as well as between the sink and the toilet, if both fixtures share the same wall. These spaces also will allow room for a caregiver, if needed. Make doorways 3 feet wide so a wheelchair can pass through."

The largest utility trailer I am aware of that is suitable for the purpose is 7' wide by 20' long. I think that any longer, and you start running into long/wide load towing red tape and a lot of building codes and inspections. (Most tiny houses are legally considered "temporary structures."

Does anyone have any experience with wheelchair accessible bathroom design? Tiny house design in general? Is this a crazy idea? Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

eenie! My thought...does it have to be on a trailer with wheels?
My husband and I have one of those storage sheds that we are going to convert to a guest cottage. 12'x24'. My thoughts are also to make it accessible..as we never know who might need to live there. It is big enough for the bath/small kitchen/living area w/bed set up.
Checking out the ADA guidelines should give you a good idea of how much space is needed, what width size for doors, how many grab bars, how high of toilet seat, what degree of slope for an access ramp to even get into a doorway.
Look also at ADA accessible RV's. I am sure they would be great for ideas on how to go about it.
Keep us posted!

 

[bornthrifty]

hi, no expert here but have experience, you want a spacious bathroom, but the ada guidelines are just guidelines, and are what retail businesses have to be compliant to the law

you however are a private home owner, and will not turn your self in for non compliance, but of course you want a bath room that is functional

now the three or four homes I know with wheel chair bathrooms in no way have 4 ft clearance around or behind each bath room fixture, they actually have a door wide enough to enter with wheel chair, (different models have different widths) and the wheel chair bound person only has room to fully enter with chair and transfer accross to shower chair or toilet,and doesn't have room to even turn the chair around like the ada recommends with their measurements, so person rolls in and backs out when done, because they have had to work with real budgets on real homes that already exsisted and had to borrow space to make a room a little wider but weren't willing to lose to much space to the bath room when they redesigned

is grandmother able to transfer self that is the biggest thing,
if not then you will need more space in the room for a person to help her, but helpers can help in the bathrooms I am thinking of, it is just a tight fit,
also a shower stall that allows chair to roll into, meaning no lip to catch water on the floor, but a floor smooth with rest of bath floor genereally sloped for drainage in the shower area, can let you at all times share a bit of the shower space with the sink and toilet space, multi use space, then when shower is needed the curtain pulls around to block off water or sometimes just a wall between fixutres and shower no curtain really

definately make bath room big enough go with the full sixed doors also, but with a little creativity you can make a bath that isn't 12 by 12 and still functional

actually go talk to some one who is in a chair and have them help you design the space you will then know what is absolutely necessary and what is over kill


hth

 

[sumi]

My father was wheelchair bound for a few years and both houses he lived in during that time did not have big bathrooms. He managed fine. The size you mentioned above would be wonderful, but it's not necessary.

The most important things is first off a wide enough door, allow space for the wheelchair and a few inches extra for her arms if she manoeuvres the chair herself. Make sure she can easily get alongside the bath, if she's using a bath and right up to (preferably next to, if possible) the toilet. The washbasin should be easily accessible and the shower, if she can get nearly into the shower and then onto a chair inside the shower. If she needs her caregiver to help her in the bathroom, allow a bit of space around the wheelchair for her to move around. Would it be possible for you to "test" a bathroom layout with a wheelchair before committing to the purchase?

 

[WendyJ]

One thought, what things do we usually consider necessities that aren't really needed? For example, while there would be a doorway (opening) into the bathroom, depending on the layout, does there need to be a door? They tend to gobble up space and be a banging hazard, would she be comfortable without one? I'm assuming you already know to have light switches slightly lower than usual, power outlets slightly higher, and lever type knobs?

 

[Denim Deb]

How about a pocket door?