For most of United Kingdom's history, bathrooms were designed and built to simply be functional and they were built the same way. This was not an issue for the majority of the United Kingdom's population, but for people with special needs, the "standard" in bathroom designs and fixtures proved difficult and frustrating. The truth is that people who have special needs often have a difficult time in bathrooms that have been built for people who do not have special needs.

For most of United Kingdom's history, bathrooms were designed and built to simply be functional and they were built the same way. This was not an issue for the majority of the United Kingdom's population, but for people with special needs, the "standard" in bathroom designs and fixtures proved difficult and frustrating. The truth is that people who have special needs often have a difficult time in bathrooms that have been built for people who do not have special needs.

Designers understand this and this is why many have endeavoured to design bathrooms and create fixtures that are built with the needs of a special person in mind. Special needs people need to have fixtures that are sturdier and better able to hold weight. People with special needs require elements that are at a different height than those built for people who do not have special needs. 

Usually a bathroom that has been designed with a special needs person in mind will have a sink that stands alone and a toilet with a seat that is wider and either higher (for those who have trouble bending) or lower (for people who are shorter) and has a lot of space surrounding it for those who have to transfer from a wheelchair to the toilet.

Usually the shower stall in a bathroom that has been built for people with special needs will have a seat or bench installed that can be removed if necessary. If the bathroom features a bath tub, that bathtub usually has jets to help massage the client's muscles. The tub is either raised up off of the floor to accommodate people with trouble bending or lower and into the floor for those who are shorter or need more space. 

Lastly, the bathroom that has been constructed for a person with special needs will be built with additional support beams and bars located around and throughout the bathroom. These bars are usually bolted to the walls around the individual bathroom features. These bars are built to aid in the transfer of the person with special needs from one location to another. The bars are usually installed next to the toilet, the sinks and the bathtub and shower areas. These bars are sturdy and are meant to hold a person's entire body weight.

Designing a bathroom for special needs people often poses a challenge because contractors want to accommodate the needs of their clients but they also realize that the client has regular contact with people who do not have special needs. Designing a bathroom that works just as well for people with special needs as those without can be difficult.

When designing a bathroom for a person with special needs a good rule of thumb for the designer is to follow is "function before form.