Have you ever had an accident in the bathroom? In Taiwan a couple of years ago, there was a whole spate of accidents involving bathroom sinks falling of walls and injuring people. That floor can also get pretty wet. Add a little soap, and you’ve got a skating rink or a recipe for disaster. I know I’ve fallen down twice in the bathroom because of poor bathroom design.
One time, the patron of a guest house had a tiled bathroom floor, a shower that drained onto that floor, and plastic bathroom shoes with no grip. I’m surprised I wasn’t the first person to fall, twist my leg, and nearly end up in hospital. Naturally, she was embarrassed by the incident, but hey… a little common sense esp. in the bathroom would help reduce your insurance premiums, wouldn’t it?
Heavens knows how older people or people with mobility issues face using the bathroom for showers and the toilet. Many traditional bathrooms have combined shower and bath facilities that users have to climb into. If you can’t raise your legs above a certain height, are unsteady on your feet, or just clumsy, then taking a shower becomes a real battle of wills: yours vs. the bathroom.
Redesigning bathrooms for people with mobility issues for whatever reason by providing a walk-in shower and shower chairs, faucets that are easier to identify and use, non-slippery floor surfaces, and minimising the use of sharp corners and unnecessary glass would make the bathroom less dangerous. Such adjustments would surely make the bathroom less formidable for all of us. I still don’t know why bathrooms get so little thought in design circles… Anyone?