Accessible Accessories

These are the fittings that make a bathroom work for people who need support, and for the buildings that have to provide it — aged care, disability housing, schools, clubs and public amenities.

The range covers automatic hand dryers, sensor flush plates, paper towel and soap dispensers with waste bins, shower curtain rails, shower seats, back rests and heavy-duty roll holders, largely from the Mobi and Mobi Care ranges.

Fitting out an accessible bathroom

Two things separate these from ordinary bathroom accessories. The first is load. A seat, a back rest or a rail has to take a person's full weight, which means the fixing behind the wall matters as much as the fitting itself. Solid backing goes in before the wall is lined, positioned to the fixing points of the specific product.

The second is reach. Everything has to be operable without a firm grip and within reach from a seated position, which is why the dispensers here are lever or sensor operated rather than push-button, and why the flush is a large plate or a sensor rather than a small button.

If you are working to a specification, check the requirements that apply to your building — heights, clearances and rail positions are set out in the relevant Australian Standard, and a certifier will measure against it rather than against a catalogue.

Grab rails are in Grab Rails, care tapware in Accessible Tapware, and the full commercial range in Disability Care and Commercial. Ordered through Builders Warehouse Online.