Accessible Showers
Shower features worth building in for the long term
Last reviewed
Short answer
The features that matter most are invisible: solid blocking in every wall, a wide entry with no swinging door, a floor with real slip resistance, and a hand shower alongside the fixed head. Grab bars and seats can be added later if the blocking is there — but blocking cannot be added later without opening the wall.
Key takeaways
- Block every wall now; add hardware whenever it is needed.
- Slip resistance comes from tile format and finish, not from a mat.
- A hand shower on a slide bar serves seated and standing use.
- Lever handles and a thermostatic valve reduce fumbling and scald risk.
Build it in now
- Continuous blocking behind all shower walls at grab-bar height, and higher for a vertical entry bar.
- A 32- to 36-inch clear opening with no door swing in the way.
- Floor tile with genuine wet slip resistance — smaller formats with more grout lines grip better.
- A thermostatic or pressure-balancing valve, positioned to be reachable from outside the spray.
- A hand shower on a slide bar, plumbed on its own outlet.
- A bench, or blocking and a flat wall ready for a folding seat.
Safe to add later
- The grab bars themselves, in a finish that matches the rest of the room.
- A folding shower seat, if blocking and a clear wall were provided.
- A second hand-shower holder at a lower height.
- Additional lighting inside the shower zone.
Grab bars only work when they are anchored to structure. Fixing one into tile and drywall alone gives you something that feels solid until the day it is needed.
Frequently asked questions
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Planning a shower project?
Tell us about the shower you have and the one you want. We will come back with questions, then arrange to see the room before anything is quoted.