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Hilary, I am also about to embark on a bathroom remodeling. This is to make the single downstairs bathroom in my house usable for my father, who is planning to move in with me. We haven't quite begun yet, since we're waiting for a tiling subcontractor to say when he can fit the work into his schedule. My contractor is a general remodeling specialist who has designed the project and will use subcontractors as necessary. I also talked to some plumbing/remodelers, but they couldn't quite handle the entire job. The contractor I found has experience with handicapped needs since he has had care responsibilities for both his father and uncle as they aged and lost function. I actually found him through a recommendation. Ask everyone you know locally and try to find some local groups (remodelers, handicapped) for recommendations, too. This bathroom is about as small as a full bath can be. It has a standard tub, extended toilet and ordinary vanity. The door into it is too narrow to allow access by a wheelchair or walker. All in all, it is totally unusable by my father with his severe balance problems and useless right arm. We are pulling out the standard tub and replacing it with a step-in shower with a bench seat at the back. The shower head will be one of those snakey things attached to a sliding bar on the long wall so it is reachable from the seat. There will be several grab bars placed strategically inside and outside the shower to be useful to a left armed person. The long toilet will be replaced by a standard one to save a couple inches of room space and it will have an extender to raise the seat level and grab bars on the left side (left side for the person sitting on it). The vanity will be replaced by a standing sink with a smaller countertop set around it that is held up by corner bars. We lose the undersink storage, but this allows a wheelchair to slide in close enough to use the sink. It will probably be a bit lower than normal and the faucet handles will be those long bars rather than knobs. The entry door is being widened and the door will swing out into the bedroom rather than in to the bathroom. We are also cutting off a corner diagonally. This is part of the large closet in the bedroom. Cutting it off will provide more manuevering space within the bathroom. Finishing work will include new tile and wallpaper because the room is being expanded. The estimate for all this is $5,510. I haven't figured out yet if I can get any tax breaks on this. The room will still be too small to qualify officially as "handicapped accessible", but if I ever sell this house, it should still be a selling point. Let us know how you make out and if you learn any more tips that I can incorporate in my own project. Good luck! Jane Koenig (daughter of Fred, 80/2) Marietta, GA >