Feasibility of a Universal Design Bathroom Sink & Vanity

People with disabilities, the elderly, and those who are non-disabled desire the development of bathroom vanity and sink designs that incorporate universal design. Developers of federally subsidized housing (HUD) and assisted living facilities have similar design needs for affordably meeting the needs of residents and accessibility laws. Phase I research found that conventional bathroom sink and vanity designs fail to meet the needs of disabled end-users. From their perspective, and the perspective of their tenants, property owners cite significant shortcomings with current designs. Current designs fail to provide -- counter space, accessible storage space, secure wall-mounted installations, and adequate design for wheelchair user anthropometrics. Phase I research determined the social and technical feasibility of vanity and sink designs that are equally usable by wheelchair users and others. To address these research findings, AD*AS designed and prototyped four technical solutions. Three of the solutions use proprietary height-adjustable mechanisms; one solution is a fixed-height design. In the Phase II work plan, AD*AS will: 1) conduct comprehensive technical evaluations of four prototypes, 2) conduct systematic consumer evaluation and testing, 3) perform business and market evaluations, and 4) integrate research findings into pre-production prototypes to offer a migration path from concept to commercial success (Phase III).