What makes a bathroom wheelchair-accessible?
A wheelchair user should be able to enter the bathroom and close the door, turn around inside, transfer sideways from the wheelchair to the toilet, get close enough to the washbasin for their knees to fit underneath, and get into the shower without a step. Each of these is a dimension, and the size of the bathroom is the sum of these dimensions.
The same dimensions also make the bathroom easier for older people, people who use a walker, people recovering from surgery and parents bathing a small child. That's why planning at least one bathroom in a new home to these dimensions avoids an expensive renovation later.
Bathroom size: a Ø150 cm turning space
A wheelchair needs a circle about 150 cm in diameter to turn on the spot. In Turkey, the Ministry's accessibility guide requires Ø150 cm in the toilet room, clear of the toilet, washbasin and other fittings; in Germany, wheelchair-accessible housing requires 150 × 150 cm in front of each sanitary fixture, and 120 × 120 cm at the basic level; in the US, Ø152.5 cm. The circle must not overlap the door swing, which is why doors in accessible bathrooms open outwards or slide.
The bathroom in the example plan is 7.5 m². To provide the turning space in a smaller bathroom, the shower has to be level-access so that the shower area also becomes part of the circulation space; in this case Germany allows the shower area to count towards the turning space.
Toilet: height, distance from the wall and transfer space
- Seat height: 43–48 cm in Turkey, 46–48 cm in Germany, 43–48.5 cm in the US. A standard toilet is about 40 cm; a wall-hung toilet is mounted higher, or a raised seat is used.
- Transfer space: at least 90 cm of free space on one side of the toilet to transfer sideways from the wheelchair. In Germany this space is 70 cm deep, i.e. from the front edge of the toilet to the back wall.
- Wall side: in Turkey, at least 46 cm between the toilet centreline and the side wall; in England 45–50 cm; in the US 40.5–45.5 cm. Germany requires at least 30 cm on the other side of the toilet for a helper.
Grab bars
The bar on the transfer side folds up: when it's down you can hold on to it, and when it's up it doesn't block the transfer from the wheelchair. In Turkey, the folding bar sits 25–35 cm above the seat and 30–35 cm from the toilet centreline; in Germany there are folding support arms on both sides, their top edge 28 cm above the seat and 65–70 cm between the two arms. A fixed bar can be added on the wall side. Wherever a bar will go, the wall should be reinforced for it from the start.
Washbasin and mirror
The space under the washbasin should be open, with no cabinet, so the wheelchair user's knees fit underneath. In Turkey, the front top edge of the washbasin is at most 86 cm, with at least 68.5 cm knee clearance underneath; in Germany the front edge is at most 80 cm, with knee clearance 67 cm high and at least 55 cm deep. The trap is flat and at the back, and a long-lever tap is chosen. The mirror starts just above the washbasin, so people can see themselves both seated and standing.
Level-access shower
The shower is flush with the floor: there's no tray or threshold, and water runs to the drain along the floor's fall. Germany allows a recess of at most 2 cm; the shower area is 120 × 120 cm, or 150 × 150 cm in wheelchair-accessible housing. In England's wheelchair user dwelling category, all shower rooms are built as wet rooms. A folding wall-mounted seat and a hand-held shower head on a slide rail are added.
Bathroom door
In Turkey, interior doors must be at least 90 cm wide; the Ministry's guide measures this as the clear opening with the leaf open and recommends leaving a door opening of at least 100 cm. In Germany, the bathroom door doesn't open inwards and has a lock that can be opened from outside; in England it also opens outwards. A sliding door keeps the turning space free and takes up no room in the corridor. No threshold is built.
Accessible bathroom dimensions by country
| Dimension | Germany | United Kingdom | USA | Türkiye |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turning space | 120 × 120 · R: 150 × 150 | M4(3): Ø150 | Ø152,5 | Ø150 |
| Toilet height | R: 46–48 | M4(3): at least 40 | 43–48,5 | 43–48 |
| Beside the toilet | R: 90 × 70 | WC centreline 45–50 from the wall | 152.5 × 142 around the WC | ≥ 90 on one side |
| Washbasin top | R: ≤ 80 | 77–85 | ≤ 86,5 | ≤ 86 |
| Knee clearance | R: ≥ 67 | M4(3): knee space | 68,5 | ≥ 68,5 |
| Shower | ≤ 2 recess; 120 × 120 · R: 150 × 150 | M4(3): wet room | 76 × 152.5; threshold ≤ 1.3 | flush, no threshold |
| Door, clear | ≥ 80 · R: ≥ 90; doesn't open inwards | 75–85; opens outwards | ≥ 81,5 | ≥ 90 |
Dimensions are in centimetres. In Germany, “R” stands for fully wheelchair-accessible housing; in England, M4(3) stands for wheelchair user dwellings. In Turkey, the bathroom layout dimensions come from the Ministry's guide and are recommendations; the door width and the ban on thresholds are in the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation. All the rules and their sources are on the Accessible Design page.
Accessible bathrooms in Nodaform
Nodaform's Accessible step checks your bathroom against these dimensions: does a Ø150 turning space fit, how many centimetres are free beside the toilet, what's the door's clear opening, and can you get to the bathroom in a wheelchair? The accessible toilet, folding and L-shaped grab bars, folding shower seat, level-access shower area and washbasin with knee space are in the Accessible living category of the Furniture step. All free.
The rules in this article were taken from official texts as of 28 October 2026. Regulations can change; before applying them, check the current text and consult a licensed architect.