Not all ADA sinks are wheelchair accessible. The ADA sinks on the market are in compliance with the ADA Accessibility Guidelines which are:

4.19.2 Height and Clearances. Lavatories shall be mounted with the rim or counter surface no higher than 34 in (865 mm) above the finish floor. Provide a clearance of at least 29 in (735 mm) above the finish floor to the bottom of the apron. Knee and toe clearance shall comply with Fig. 31.

Figure 31


Basically the sink has to have 27″ clearance underneath (finished floor to bottom of the sink) and be mounted with the top edge 34″ above the finished floor, which means the sink basin must be 7″ deep or less. **Remember ADA is for commercial applications, when designing a bathroom for an individual the height requirements may be different depending on the person’s size.

The ADA guidelines also specify a minimum knee clearance from the front of the sink or counter top to the sink drain of 8″. In many of the ADA sinks on the market the drain pipe is located in the middle of the sink.

Standard practice for mounting bathroom sinks is to mount the front edge of the sink 3 1/2″-4″ from the front edge of the sink. When designing a bathroom for someone in a wheelchair the best practice to mount the sink as close to the front edge of the counter top as possible to prevent the wheelchair user from having to lean too far out of midline to utilize the sink.

Most ADA sinks on the market are based on mounting the sink 3″-4″ back from the front edge of the counter top which allows adequate space for the pipes (per the ADA guidelines) for a center mounted drain.

Better practice is to mount the sink as close to the edge of the counter top as possible and utilize a bathroom sink with a drain in the back of the sink to allow as much knee clearance as possible.

I believe sinks that are accessible should also be aesthetically pleasing, here are some of my favorite wheelchair accessible drop-in and wall mounted sinks.

Wheelchair accessible bathroom drop-in and wall mounted sinks:

Yeni Klasik Ceramic Bathroom Sink by CeraStyle by Nameeks

Great wall mount sink with space to set toiletries etc. Wall mount sinks are ideal when floor space is an issue. I never recommend wall mount sinks to people who are ambulatory with balance issues. These sinks are not meant for weight bearing.