It’s estimated that more than 20% of the UK population has some form of disability, but alarmingly there are some pubs and restaurants that still don’t have accessible washrooms. There are many forms of disability, and the House of Lords has called for pubs that don’t offer disabled toilets to be closed down, encouraging local authorities to refuse to grant or renew licenses to premises that aren’t providing accessible washrooms.
As pubs continue to provide a backbone to communities, while still diversifying to cater to changing consumer habits, now more than ever is the time to ensure your facilities can be accessed by all your paying customers.
How many disabled toilets do I need?
If you can only accommodate one full disabled washroom then it’s totally fine to make it a unisex disabled washroom – this is seen as standard across the industry.
What size is a disabled toilet?
The standard minimum size of a unisex disabled washroom is 1.5 metres wide, by 2.2 metres deep. This provides you with enough space to install all the correct Document-M adhering sanitary ware and grab rails while still leaving enough transfer space for wheelchair users to get safely onto and off of your toilet. However, in addition to this, you also need to think about the space outside the cubicle or room, as the door will need to swing open outwards. The door opening is usually 900mm with a 950mm outward opening door. Additionally, you also need to think about how disabled users can actually get through your premises to access your accessible washroom, meaning thoroughfares need careful consideration.
What if I can’t fit a disabled washroom in?
Document M of Building Regulations says you should be doing the best that you can when it comes to washroom accessibility. In a handful of pubs, there might be dimensions and structural limitations that prevent you from delivering a full disabled washroom, but that doesn’t mean you can’t implement some accessible features. Think about grab rails, outward opening doors and sensor activation. This ambulant disabled washroom setup can still help to aid users with a number of disabilities including visual impairment.
Structural works and refurbishments
We offer an outsourced service to conduct a survey and provide a detailed specification for your new disabled wash spaces. This takes into consideration all legislation and compliance issues and provides you with a clear path to fully functioning facilities. After the 3D design process, we can also carry out the complete renovation, including any structural works, providing a fast and efficient turn-key service.
If you would like further advice on refurbishing disabled washrooms or bringing them into your offering, please get in touch with one of the team on 01202 014342
