Hmm. Deck mount faucet could be good. even if you made a little wall upward on the southern part of the deck you could have the faucet coming out of the wall (halfwall-- not a full wall). I hope that makes sense.
Sort of like this:
But I think you are thinking of something more like this for the faucet:
I wonder if this tub has enough space where it goes in to wrap around that vent in the bulkhead:
I'm guessing that it does not. It's a huge tub though. 72x72 or so. I'm not even sure if it is a drop-in.
I wonder if it would be possible to find a tub that is designed to have the faucet in that corner so it would allow you to cut that corner out for the bulkhead. I'm guessing the answer is "no".
The more I think about it, the more I believe it would be best to have a tub deck that is comfortable for sit and swing to get in. Say you are waiting for the water to get to the right temperature and want to sit on the edge and check the water with your hand before getting in. It's easier to do while sitting. Also, with your wife's loss of feeling in her feet, if she is stepping in, she might not be able to feel the bottom of the tub very well and may have more of a chance of slipping/sliding a bit and could end up hurting herself by falling in a sort of splits on the tub deck (I have done this while getting in and out of a tub before- it sucks). With some well-placed grab bars, I think the sitting entry is easier. Plus, you are less likely to bang your shins on the edge of the deck that way-- unless you have a soft sort or rubberized edge to protect your shins.
I'm curious at the choice in toilet. Is that toilet cheaper than the Drake II?
There are many options for towel bars. I know they actually make shower rods for curtains that have extra bars just for towels. I don't know if they make them long enough for the custom shower though. I wonder if there is a type of towel bar that could go on the outside shower wall. I would hesitate to mount one on the glass. I wonder if there is a folding towel bar that can extend out from the wall when it is needed and then fold back to the wall when its not. For instance, It can be flush against the wall and out of the way when nobody needs a towel. Then it can be folded outward so it sticks out so when a person gets out of the shower, they can just grab a towel and fold the bar back to the wall, dry off, and hang the towel back up or put it in the laundry bin.
There is a rack that folds up:
And one that has bars that swivel in both directions:
I like the bench in the shower, will it have a sort of beveled edge so it will be more rounded rather than being a sharp angle at the front? A curved front can make it more comfortable on the backs of the legs.
I love the feature on the tub surround thing with the fold-down doors. Where did you find that? I want to put it in Pinterest.
Rapida, I thought the minimum required distance from the front of the toilet was 21" but that 30" was recommended. According to homerenovations.about.com, the National Kitchen and Bath Association lists it as 21". But I could easily be wrong on that.
My brain is still in slug mode yesterday. Heat exhaustion is not fun.
I hope that you find all of the products you need to get this as close as possible to the dream bathroom your wife wanted. I do think its great that you are taking the time to plan and research. It's better to plan ahead and have fewer surprises.