Sanitary Provision
If you’re a business owner / manager that provides WCs for your customers, visitors or employees then you need to aim for at least one of those facilities to be an accessible unisex WC. If you only have space for one loo within your building, it should be an accessible unisex one.
Don’t forget though that the DDA is about what is ‘reasonable and practicable’ and there will be some circumstances in which installing an accessible WC would be considered neither. Even if it is physically impossible to accommodate an accessible WC there are other things you can do to your existing facilities that will make them more accessible. For instance:
- avoid shiny ceramic tiles and floors
- contrast the fixtures and fittings with their background i.e. avoid using white tiles and then siting white basins and loos against them
- use lever taps for hand basins
- use light action bolts on cubicles rather than twist locks
- if possible have outward opening doors to cubicles
- use light switches with large push pads as opposed to pull cords
- use paper dispensers that can be used with one hand
This list is by no means exhaustive – with regard to loos there are many things to consider in terms of provision, space and location of fixtures and fittings, etc. If you are thinking of altering, updating or merely decorating your existing facilities consider getting some advice before you spend your money!
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