Accessible bathrooms for all generations
Comfortable, safe, flexible: an accessible bathroom or toilet is becoming more and more popular, as the number of older people with reduced mobility is growing. For them, accessibility is a key elements to self-supported living: because age-appropriate bathrooms, toilets and showers mean they can in their own home much longer. This allows them to enjoy their familiar environment and feel safe.
But what standards apply to a threshold-free bathroom or an accessible shower? Which elements are important for accessibility at all? Are there funding opportunities, and what would the practical implementation look like? Read more.
Accessible bathrooms for 6.7 million additional seniors
Germany is getting older: between 1991 and 2022, the total population grew by around 4.1 million people. The number of people aged 65 and older has risen significantly faster – from 12 million in 1991 to 18.7 million in 2022.
This trend will continue and it will have consequences: Accessible, age- and disabled-friendly bathrooms are becoming an increasingly important argument for people looking to rent or buy. Anyone who plans a new bathroom or refurbishment today should keep an eye on this. Barrier-free and disability-friendly access are required elements of contemporary bathrooms. They also contribute to sustainability: this is because with foresighted planning age-related adaptationscan be avoided.
Standards for a barrier-free bathroom or toilet
DIN 18040-2 specifies precise specifications for barrier-free bathrooms and toilets. It defines requirements for movement areas, distances and safety features. Standards have the character of guidelines and recommendations. They must be applied if they are legally binding in the respective state building regulations.
Important requirements of DIN 18040-2 for barrier-free baths:
Barrier-free solutions:
the movement areas outset in the relevant standard require a certain size and layout of the bathrooms. This is not always the case in refurbishments, so barrier-free implementations are not possible everywhere. In such cases, wedi solutions enable at least barrier-reduced bathrooms, toilets and showers – even on the smallest floor plans.
Support programs for barrier-free conversions
There are a number of possible grants for barrier-free bathrooms and toilets. The renovation is supported by grants for flush-to-floor showers, grab bars and other safety measures.
- The toolbox may not be unpacked until the costs have been approved in writing. So always apply for funding first, then start building. This also applies if the health insurance fund also pays for the bathroom conversion.
- Many home and apartment owners are planning ahead and plan a precautionary conversion of the bathroom or toilet. In such cases, there may also be financing options: for example, through investment or promotional banks of the federal and state governments, insurance companies, offices, etc.
Checklist: important design elements of a barrier-free bathroom
Ergonomic, safe, up-to-date: A barrier-free bathroom takes into account the long-term needs of all users. This will make bathroom design a good building block of future security! The following small checklist shows what you should consider.
wedi solutions for a barrier-free bathroom
Whether young or old, no one wants stumbling blocks in the bathroom. Barrier-free solutions are particularly valuable for older people. The key to this are wedi's comfortable systems.
- Flush-to-floor shower systems
t wedi, you will find a wide selection of flush-to-floor shower solutions: All are easy to install, safe to use and ideal for barrier-free bathrooms.
- wedi Sanoasa benches and corner seat elements
A safe shower experience for the physically challenged – and for those who want to enjoy a relaxing seated shower. The wedi Sanoasa benches also blend harmoniously into small showers. The same applies to the wedi Sanoasa corner seat element. It is individually tileable or already provided with the desired wedi Top Surface. It can also be retrofitted and easily glued. Of course, without affecting the sealing under the tiles.
- Universal Design in wedi Products
The modular systems from wedi correspond to the universal design concept. They are tailored to all phases of life, durable and easy to maintain. In short: simply ideal for renovation and refurbisment in generation-friendly construction.