The British
Standard for accessibility in the built environment have been updated, and now
extend the useability of the ultimate in accessible toileting.
BS8300:2018
design of an accessible and inclusive built environment has revised the best
practice criteria for assisted accessible toilet facilities aka Changing
Places.
The Standard now
notes that replacement of a conventional WC within the facility with a wash
& dry (automatic shower) toilet, can enable greater independence and
dignity for users. A wash & dry toilet, such as a Closomat, looks like- and
can be used as- a conventional WC; integrated douching and drying facilities
mean it cleans the user after toileting without the need for manual wiping with
toilet tissue.
The upgrade
means that the millions of people who need care support could go to the toilet
without having to rely on their carer(s) to wipe them clean afterwards. It also
means that people who may only need help in toileting can still ‘go’ when away
from home, knowing they are properly clean afterwards (eg people who have
continence issues, at certain stages of muscular conditions, arthritis etc).
Closomat is the
brand leader in wash & dry toilets in the UK. It is also the leading
supplier and installer of Changing Places toilets, which, under Building
Regulations and the British Standard, should be provided in any building, venue
to which numbers of the public have access, or spend a period of time. Closomat
has already worked with brands including MOTO, Cadbury World, National
Exhibition Centre, Gatwick Airport and intu to install the ultimate in Changing
Places, ahead of the update in the Standard.
Explains Claire
Haymes, Closomat away from home speclalist, “Latest figures reveal that
bathroom facilities are one of the top 10 barriers to accessibility outside the
home; the same report claims that, by failing to meet the demands of disabled
people, businesses could be missing out on a share of £420million in revenue a
week! So there is a sound business reason to provide appropriate toilets such
as Changing Places.
“Over our decade
of experience in the provision of Changing Places, we have found increasingly
that venues ask, as they are developing their Changing Places, what steps can
they take to optimise its usage. Many have already fitted a Closomat in place
of a conventional WC, reasoning it delivers greater dignity to users and
extends the useability of the facility.”
Closomat is Britain’s leading provider of helpful toileting solutions,
at home and away, including Changing Places and their similar Space to Change
facilities. Uniquely, the company can provide an in-house, ‘one- stop-shop’
complete package for ‘away from home’ assisted accessible toilet facilities,
from design and commissioning, through to project management, supply and
installation, and can also provide subsequent maintenance and repair.
