Accessible vs. Accommodated Rooms
Accessible rooms and/or living spaces typically refer to those which are wheelchair accessible. As such, special attention is given to living areas:
- Bathroom(s) (e.g., roll-in roll-out showers, room for wheelchair transfer to toilet, and sink installation at wheelchair-user height and which allows for wheelchair users legs to fit under it); and
- Kitchen(s) (e.g., reachable counter space from a wheelchair position, enable the wheelchair user to park/maneuver/turn in tight areas, park next to storage cabinets, and turn it into pass-through doorways).
Accommodated rooms, in contrast, can include any existing room design or architectural modification which suits the needs of the person with a disability. For example, a student who needs to occupy a single room without a roommate would require no physical change to the room at all. Alternatively, a student who requires grab bars in the bathrooms shower or a motorized door opener may need some room modifications.
