This is an updated version of the product training course introduced by SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES in 1979, authored by Don Arnold.
One of the most significant “revolutions” in plumbing design in recent years has been the development of product and building designs that take into consideration the special needs of disabled persons. (As a point of clarification, the word “disabled,” as it applies to such plumbing considerations, refers specifically to persons confined to wheelchairs.) The widely accepted term for such products today is “ADA,” standing for the “Americans with Disabilities Act” that triggered many of the regulations in this regard.
Before we proceed any further, let's clarify one other matter. Plumbing for disabled persons is not just a matter of providing specially designed plumbing products. Nor is it simply a case of laying out facilities so such users can maneuver wheelchairs to get at the fixtures more easily. In fact, it involves a varied combination of both considerations.