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Whether you are designing a new disabled toilet for your premises or modifying your existing setup, accessibility is of paramount importance. However, when moving beyond an ambulant disabled toilet and installing facilities for the disabled that include wheelchair users, there are many factors that need to be considered.
Not your everyday toilet room
The standard toilet height is 430mm and the seat of a standard wheelchair is 480mm. Sliding down off a wheelchair and onto the toilet may not be too much of an issue, but lifting yourself 50mm up and some 600mm across using upper body strength alone is very difficult. In some situations this could lead to the user having to pull the red cord for assistance, or attempting to almost throw themselves across and into their wheelchair, neither is ideal. By having specific disabled toilets at the right height makes visiting the loo less of a struggle and increases the usability tenfold.
A washbasin in the correct position
It’s important to have the washbasin within arms reach of a seated toilet user. This is because some users may have the need to wash their hands prior to dressing and manoeuvring themselves. The basins and taps need to be installed to the dimensions stated in the Building Regulations and Building Standards Diagrams.
Grab rails
To help aid mobility within your toilet cubicle, grab rails are essential. As well as wall-mounted vertical and horizontal grab rails, at least one drop down rail is needed to the side of the wheelchair-accessible toilet pan. The user will be operating the drop-down rail from a seated position with their back to the rail. Therefore a smooth, easy to use drop-down rail is imperative. It is important to note that the colour of your grab rails should contrast against the walls so that they stand out and are easy to recognise for the visually impaired.
Turning circle to manoeuvre
You need to allow room for a 'transfer space.' This is the space alongside the toilet pan where some users will manoeuvre themselves from their chair and onto the toilet. It is important to note that the toilet flusher also needs to be placed on this side, as does the drop-down rail.
Outside the cubicle door
You have a great, functional and well thought out disabled toilet, but none of that matters if the access to get there isn’t sufficient. You need a minimum of a 1.5m square outside the cubicle door and ideally a bit more. The door opening needs to be 900mm wide with a 950mm, outward opening door. Door furniture needs to contrast against the colour of the cubicle door and needs to be able to be used by those with limited dexterity or strength. A good way of tackling this is asking yourself, could you open this with your chin or a closed fist?
Other accessories to consider
Other accessories to consider in your disabled toilet cubicle include the obvious installation of waste disposal bin and mirrors. But also give thought to toilet tissue dispensers, which are easier to use for some disabled users than tearing sheets from a roll. A shelf between the washbasin and toilet can also be useful for the placement of colostomy bags. RADAR locks and audio-visual alarm systems are also important features that can be added.
The above article serves as a guide and highlights some of the features that are important to disabled users. For specific design requirements and regulations, please refer to Part M of the Building Regulations and BS8300.
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