Handicapped restrooms are specially equipped lavatories that enable those with physical disabilities to take responsibility for their own personal hygiene. Examples of adaptations that can turn a regular bathroom into a handicapped accessible one include installing grab bars, lowering counters and covering the floor with non-slip materials. Although some changes - like increasing floor space to accommodate a wheelchair - require significant remodeling, others require only a few simple supplies and a little ingenuity. "Adapt My World," a book by J. Rose Plaxen, describes a number of simple and inexpensive modifications that parents can undertake to make the family bathroom and all the other rooms in the house more accessible to differently-abled children.
Children with disabilities may initially feel different from their able-bodied peers, but if they have to ask for help with such basic tasks as taking a bath or brushing their teeth, they may feel embarrassed, as well. Handicapped restrooms help children overcome whatever obstacles are created by their physical limitations and promote self-reliance in personal care. An entire chapter of "Adapt My World" is devoted to techniques to help children to master skills for everything from taking a shower and washing their hair to remembering in order all the steps involved in brushing their teeth.
Although parents may not be able to hire a contractor to rebuild their restroom into a handicapped version from floor to ceiling, there are still dozens of things they can do to make their bathroom friendlier to their differently-abled child.
J. Rose Plaxen began writing "Adapt My World" when she first realized that some strategically placed non-skid bathtub strips enabled her young daughter to sit up in her highchair with little assistance for the very first time. As the parent of a child with disabilities, Plaxen had been disappointed by the lack of resources geared toward raising a child with special needs. So she decided to do something about it. Thus was "Adapt My World: Homemade Adaptations for People with Disabilities" conceived.
"Our world is not accommodating of differently-abled individuals," said Plaxen. "It's up to each individual caretaker to make the child's world truly their own. This book contains common-sense modifications that have an enormous and immediate effect on improving the daily lives of these children."
"Adapt My World" is the first book to put together the myriad hints about how to adapt a "differently-abled" child's environment to his or her needs. They come from therapists, teachers, and experienced parents. The book is organized in "recipe book" format, with lists of ingredients, detailed instructions, and substitutions. There are photographs of the finished products, some of them even in use!
The adaptations described in "Adapt My World" are divided into sections on home, school, and play. Adaptations for the home include chapters on mealtime, bath, and bedroom modifications. The section on play includes chapters addressing modifications for both independent and interactive activities, some of which provide these special children with the rare opportunity to fit in with their friends. Finally, a section on academics includes accommodations developed by teachers and therapists to facilitate study and socialization. Although this book presents a variety of modifications for a number of settings, the common thread running throughout the book is that small changes can make life a lot less challenging for children with disabilities and their parents.
