High Street food outlet toilet problem solved with Space to Change

‘High Street’ food outlets can actually benefit from the recent High Court ruling about toilet provision with a new option in “away from home” WCs.

Even before the judgement, small food shops with at least 10 seats were obliged to provide a customer toilet. Under current Building Regulations (Approved Document M 2013), if there is limited space, then the toilet provision should be a wheelchair-accessible facility.

“A venue has to provide at least a wheelchair-accessible toilet, and any business with employees has to provide toilet facilities for staff. Capitalising on that, and using what available space there is to provide one Space to Change toilet, actually opens an establishment’s doors to thousands more customers,” claims Kelvin Grimes, project manager for away from home toilets at Clos-o-Mat, Britain’s biggest provider of assisted accessible toilet solutions. “ Potentially up to 5 million people can’t use conventional wheelchair accessible toilets because they need more space, or special equipment. And they often have a carer, who can’t leave them alone while they go to the loo….

“A single, properly equipped Space to Change enhances a standard wheelchair-accessible toilet with an extra 5m2, an adult-sized changing bench and hoist. In a small-medium sized outlet, that means there is no need to provide four separate wheelchair-accessible, baby change, male and female facilities: Space to Change ticks all the boxes in one, in less floor area!”

Space To Change toilets plug the gap between conventional (Building Regulations Approved Document M 2013) wheelchair-accessible toilets, and the ‘desirable’, additional, larger and better equipped Changing Places+ toilets.

The concept enables venues that are limited financially and/or on space to meet the needs of up to three million British children and adults* who need changing and lifting facilities for their personal hygiene. It encompasses a 7.5m2 (3m x 2.5m min) wheelchair-accessible toilet that further includes an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist. Space To Change has been developed with leading Changing Places campaigners and Clos-o-Mat (Britain’s leading supplier of disabled toilet solutions at home and away). Firefly Community, an online special needs community, will drive the campaign, supporting campaigners and raising awareness of the need for accessible toilets that include height adjustable changing benches and hoists.

Full details of the Space To Change concept, plus technical support, CAD blocks etc, can be found at www.clos-o-mat.com and http://community.fireflyfriends.com/campaigns/space-to-change.