Full-Scale Testing of Home Environments: Accessibility of the Bathroom

Often the built spaces designed for weak users are not really accessible, safe, comfortable and easy to use due to serious design and construction mistakes. In many cases accessibility regulations are superficially applied by designers without knowing the specific needs of different categories of disabled people. The Laboratory of Building Design of the University of Trento (Italy) is carrying out research on the accessibility of built spaces. Currently, the research work focuses on the bathroom for people with motor impairments with the aim to identify new accessible solutions in terms of spaces, fittings and assistive technology. Purpose of this paper is introducing an innovative approach for full-scale testing home environments. This will contribute to the evolution of the ordinary design methodology through the involvment and participation of end users. The developed methodology rates and ranks different accessible bathrooms designed according to Italian regulations in order to define new safer and more confortable configurations. Furthermore, with these full-scale tests it will be possible to verify and propose changes, updates and additions to the regulations in force.