Disclaimer: I am not a professional with regards to the specifications for accessible toilets. However, based on personal experience as a mobility aid user, I consider the criteria below important. The information in this post should serve as a guide in combination with advice from an expert in this field.
Accessible toilets are an absolute necessity for many people living with a disability. A crucial part of inclusive spaces, their design features allow wheelchair users and individuals with a range of (physical) disabilities to use the toilet as independently and safely as possible.
Below you’ll find an Accessible Toilet Checklist with some important things to consider when designing a wheelchair-friendly toilet.
But first: Who are accessible toilets made for?
- Wheelchair users
- Individuals with mobility impairments
- People with bowel and/or bladder conditions
- People with balance issues, grip issues, or other conditions that make support rails useful
- People with a range of invisible disabilities who also need to use the facilities
- … and more
ACCESSIBLE TOILET CHECKLIST
Entrance
- Is the doorway wide enough for a wheelchair user to pass through? (min. 80 cm / 32 inches wide)
- Is the doorway threshold-free?
- Is the door lightweight?
- Does the door have a horizontal bar across the inside (along its full width) to help close it?
- Does the door open outwards, allowing safe and easy access in an emergency?
Support
- Are there grab rails on both sides of the toilet?
- Is the toilet seat elevated?
Amenities
- Is the mirror low enough for wheelchair users?
- Is the sink low enough for wheelchair users?
- Is the soap dispenser within reach for wheelchair users?
- Is the paper towel dispenser/ hand dryer within reach for wheelchair users?
- Is the bin within reach for wheelchair users?
- Is the toilet paper within easy reach when seated on the toilet?
- Is the paper towel dispenser/ hand dryer close enough to the sink and bin (so that users don't have to use wet hands on their mobility aids to move between the two)?
Design
- Is the tap a design that doesn't require much force to operate?
- Is the tap a design that can be used with a closed fist? (Tip: Use a lever design)
- Is the bin a design that doesn't require much force to operate?
- Is the bin a design that can be used with a closed fist?
- The bin does not require the use of feet/ legs to operate (i.e. it is not a foot pedal bin).
- The bin is large enough to dispose of diapers, stoma bags or other larger waste/ sanitary items.
Space
- Is the toilet spacious enough to turn at least 1.5 m full circle in a wheelchair?
- Is the space underneath the sink free, allowing a wheelchair user to roll right up to it?
- The accessible toilet is not being used for storage space.
Safety features
- Is there an emergency alarm cord inside the toilet?
- Does the emergency alarm cord go around the whole parameter of the accessible toilet?
- Is the emergency alarm cord strung along the wall approx. 40 cm from the ground?
- Is the emergency alarm cord system fully functioning?
- Are staff members well-trained in responding to the emergency alarm system?
Signposting
- Is the way to the accessible toilet clearly signposted with a wheelchair icon?
- Is the door to the accessible toilet clearly signposted with a wheelchair icon?
- Is all signposting clearly visible from afar?
Useful Resources
- “Disabled toilets: When does accessible not mean accessible?“ by Gemma-Louise Stevenson (BBC News)
- “ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities“ by ADA Checklist.org
- “Managing Accessible Toilets” by the Centre for Accessible Environments
- Changing Places.org
Click here to go to Able Amsterdam’s Accessible Toilet Directory.
Click here for a related blog post: “What makes a toilet accessible? Important features of a wheelchair-friendly loo”
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