Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) November 02, 2014

In the U.S., most new homeowners are not the first person to live in the house, and more than 21% of these households have at least one person with a physical limitation(1). While older homes can be retrofitted with mobility enhancing features, they are costly and complicated to add in after construction. The best time to add these valuable features is during the initial construction of a home. Visitability is a movement that aims to disrupt the status quo in home construction. It aims to have new accessibility standards for new home construction, similar to the ADA requirements to which public and commercial spaces adhere. The inflexible features of Visitability are:

1.    At least one zero-step entrance approached by an accessible route on a firm surface no steeper than 1:12, proceeding from a driveway or public sidewalk

2.    Wide passage doors at 32”

3.    At least a half bath/powder room on the main floor(2)

A zero-step entrance is one of the most important parts on this trifecta. The ability to both enter and exit a home is the first step in ensuring the safety and mobility of a person with mobility needs. This not only promotes socialization from both home owner and visitor, but eases exiting access in case of an emergency such as fire. These wide passage doors also help in this scenario, as well as increasing mobility comfort inside of the home. A home is not a safe place for an owner nor a visitor if it cannot be easily navigated. This size is taken from the standard width of a wheelchair, with an additional 3” of clearance on each side. The third point, having an accessible full or half bathroom on the main floor, is another basic need for both homeowners and visitors. Most existing homes do not comply with these standards, and these modifications become pricy if implemented after a home is constructed. To this point, Visitability standards are specifically for homes that are newly constructed, as implementation is both cheaper and easier.

While Visitability proponents ask that this movement contains only these three tenants, they encourage builders and homeowners to go further in the universal design of their homes. The reason for keeping this list of requirements brief is so that it is easier to pass legislation with streamlined requirements. Other features that are supported by the Visitability movement, but not explicitly listed in their literature, are: a 5’ turning radius in bathrooms, reinforced bathroom walls, accessible power outlets, parking space requirements, and a roll-in shower.

Ella’s Bubbles has many roll-in shower options, including several shower options that are ADA compliant. The Ella Standard Barrier Free Showers have 2 ADA complaint packages, the Plus 24 and the Plus 36. These packages come with a four-legged foldup seat, and a 3 piece set of either 24” or 36” brushed stainless steel grab bars, respectively. Our ADA compliant Deluxe Barrier Free Shower also includes the Four-legged foldup seat and brushed steel grab bar set, but also includes a hand shower with hose and mounts, Hansgrohe interchangeable iBox with pressure balance valve, brushed stainless steel rod and heavy weighted shower curtain, and other accessories. Standard accessories for all Ella Barrier Free Showers include a collapsible dam and a 2” drain with a friction seal.

Another great accessibility option for homes both new and old are the Ella Acrylic walk in bathtubs. These tubs have several mobility friendly features, such as Grab bars, extensions on the controls, and molded seat that can be raised to 17” with an optional 2” custom seat cushion. It also includes a beautiful stainless steel door and our Dual Drain technology, allowing 80 second quick drain capability.

For more information on Visitability, please go to http://www.visitability.org, and for information on these and other Ella bath products, please visit us at http://www.ellasbubbles.com.

About Ella’s Bubbles, LLC

Ella’s Bubbles – a Chicago-based OEM manufacturer and distributor of acrylic walk-in bathtubs and accessible showers – has spearheaded acrylic walk-in bathtub development, production, and distribution in North America since 2005. We offer exceptional craftsmanship, world-class customer service, and creative insights to your bathroom modification. For more product information, please visit http://www.ellasbubbles.com or call 1-800-480-6850.

(1) http://www.visitability.org/

(2) http://concretechange.org/visitability/visitability-defined/






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