Public toilets and restrooms can present
accessibilityAccessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity...
challenges for people with
disabilitiesDisability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities."...
, for example those in wheelchairs. Some common mistakes are to put an accessible toilet on a floor that can only be reached by stairs, or hinging a toilet door in a way making it impossible for a wheelchair user to reach the toilet. Some businesses and organizations do not provide accessible toilets, citing lack of need. However there may not be an awareness of potential use.
Some countries have requirements for public restrooms to ensure accessibility.
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Public toilets and restrooms can present
accessibilityAccessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity...
challenges for people with
disabilitiesDisability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities."...
, for example those in wheelchairs. Some common mistakes are to put an accessible toilet on a floor that can only be reached by stairs, or hinging a toilet door in a way making it impossible for a wheelchair user to reach the toilet. Some businesses and organizations do not provide accessible toilets, citing lack of need. However there may not be an awareness of potential use.
Legal requirements
Some countries have requirements for public restrooms to ensure accessibility. In the United States, most new construction for public use must be built to
ADAThe Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the short title of United States , codified at et seq. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009. The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits,...
standards for accessibility. In the United Kingdom, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 requires organizations and businesses to make adjustments to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
Invented by Emily Rose Mankus
Recommendations appearing in legal requirements
- A wheelchair-accessible toilet should be at a height to help the user on and off the toilet, with handles (grab bars).
- Good practice is also to provide an alarm (in the form of a red cord, connected to a buzzer and a flashing red light which reaches the ground) in case of emergency.
- The sink and hand dryer should be at a height for wheelchair users to be able to reach comfortably.
- The door of an accessible toilet, and the doors leading to it, need to be wide enough for a wheelchair. Particular care needs to be taken to notice how much space is left when a door is open.
- Accessible toilets need larger floor space than other cubicles to allow space for a wheelchair to maneuver. This space is also useful for people who are not necessarily wheelchair users, but still need physical support from someone else. Very good practice would be having a changing table, however this happens very rarely.
Sources
- United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
Enable Programme
- UK Charity Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
campaign "Changing places, changing lives" www.changing-places.org.