Talk:Grab bar

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Accessibility section: US bias, wheelchair-user bias

I've removed two instances of the phrase 'handicapped people', as this term is considered offensive to many, particularly outside the United States. 'People with disabilities' would generally be preferred, or 'people with impairments', 'disabled people', something of that nature.

I have also made a minor change to reflect the fact that grab bars are not intended only for use by, nor are they only used by, wheelchair users. I suspect this could be worded better. I'll also mention here that many wheelchair users are able to stand when necessary, and some will use a suitable grab bar, when available, to pull up on in order to stand to undo clothing as necessary.

There is a pronounced US bias in the accessibility section of this article. Having a grab rail on the wall immediately behind the toilet is a US custom which seems bizarre to us here in New Zealand, for instance, where the standard fitting is a single L-shaped rail on the wall beside the toilet. Neither of these is particularly useful, I might add, in a world (or at least a country) where OTs prescribe a pair, if possible, of angled grab bars to people who walk but are unsteady/need something to pull on to get back to their feet from a seated position. One tends to grow reliant on the adaptations available, especially in cases of progressive disability. Both the angled bars and the L-shaped bar train one to expect to be able to grip the bar at a suitable height--how difficult so many of us would find it to have to face the American system of horizontal bars at one single take-it-or-leave-it height! More on how other countries deal with this issue might be useful, especially if they have, as I suspect, all done 'extensive research' on the wishes of people with disabilities. Incidentally, what is meant by the apparent ADA requirement for "smooth" grab bars? Here grab bars generally have a textured, easily gripable surface. Smooth bars, lacking that texture, would sound like a potential hazard.

The Gilly (talk) 10:39, 24 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Advertising links

This page appears to have been targeted for the purpose of injecting advertising links to marginally useful, non-authoritative content on commercial shopping sites. I removed several such links back on March 4, 2011. Today, March, 15, 2011, IP 24.91.135.31 reverted my earlier edit that removed a link to Dynamic Living, Inc's web site. A reverse IP search indicates that the change originated from somewhere in Connecticut, the same region where the company is question is located.

Kindly note that Wikipedia is not a tool for self-promotion or commercial advertising (Wikipedia:Spam). I'll tag this article as 'Cleanup-spam' if these links reappear.

--Waldhorn (talk) 18:53, 15 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

What are the grab bars seen at bars (alcohol serving establishments) for?71.187.162.248 (talk) 07:15, 3 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]