SBIR-STTR Award

The development of a universal design bathroom sink and vanity of interest to the elderly and people with disabilities who desire bathroom sinks and vanities which provide accessibility, adaptability, and adjustability so they may live more independently regardless of their ability or mobility levels. Developers and owners of federally financed housing and privately owned assisted living facilities areinterested in bathroom sink and vanity designs which allow them to meet the legal accessibility requirements and the functional and aesthetic needs of the end user. These parties are interested in accessible designs that are indistinguishable from standard bathrooms and do not require modifications when a disabled tenant moves in. Homebuilders are interested in meeting the needs of the largest homebuyer group: people aged 45-65. This cohort, according to industry studies, values accessibility and independence and its members want to remain in their homes rather than seek expensive institutional care. The technical approach will take place in five steps designed to: 1) generate design requirements, 2) determine legal requirements, 3) define technical criteria, 4) identify and evaluate technical options, and 5) integrate the preferred solution(s) into prototypes. The technical challenge is meeting end user design requirements and producing an affordable system to ensure marketability.

Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications of Research:
: The project will determine technical and social feasibility of a universal design bathroom sink and vanity. If feasibility is established and the prototype(s) developed effectively meet technical criteria, further development will take place during Phase II. Successful commercialization will result in production of this product by rural firms leading to job creation and enhanced competitiveness. The published results of the product development approach will be disseminated to rural community development organizations so that it may be replicated. A universal design bathroom sink will result in housing that better meets the needs of all rural residents, especially the elderly and disabled.

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).

Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications of Research:
: If commercialized, the prototypes will encourage people with disabilities and the elderly to live independently-avoiding costly institutional care. Interviews with property developers generated a design virtually to their specifications. As a result, the product has strong potential for placement in every HUD and assisted living dwelling designated "accessible." Production of any of the prototypes will directly enhance the value of rural participating firms local to AD*AS. The economic benefit of commercializing the proposed products would be significant for rural communities beyond those in southeast Ohio. This commercialization process will serve as a successful model to be replicated in other rural communities.