One stop shop solution for accessible toilets away from home

Lack of space to provide assisted accessible toileting can be overcome if Closomat expertise is utilised.

The company, Britain’s leading provider of such facilities, is emphasising that many of the perceived obstacles can be overcome by a different approach. It cites its installs at venues such as Longdown Activity Farm, Cornwall Services and The Honey Pot cafe as examples of how its thinking can enable a venue to open its doors to the tens of thousands of disabled people who need extra space and equipment to address their intimate care needs when away from home.

“More and more venues which the public access are aware of the need for assisted accessible toilets, often referred to as Changing Places, but are deterred thinking it requires a significant investment in space and kit,” says Kelvin Grimes, Closomat’s away from home project manager. “At the end of the day, the majority of potential users are glad to have their needs acknowledged, even if the facility provided is not to the full specification of British Standards. We do our utmost to help find some solution that is as compliant as possible.”

As a result, Closomat has been able to help venues provide wheelchair accessible toilets with space, a hoist and adult-sized changing bench in, among other locations, a converted shipping container, a staff toilet, and a former small clothes shop.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way- almost always,” adds Kelvin. “We have undertaken so many successful projects, we have the expertise to know what will work. It’s why we worked with campaigners to develop solutions, to give venues an opportunity to be socially responsible and meet the need, even if they can’t provide a full specification Changing Places.”

Under BS8300:2018 and Building Regulations Approved Document M 2013, a Changing Places toilet-

i.e a wheelchair accessible toilet with 12m2, a ceiling track hoist, privacy screen and adult sized changing bench- should be provided in all buildings to which the public have access, in addition to other wheelchair accessible facilities. Document M also states that if space is limited in any location, then the minimum able/disabled WC provision should be a unisex wheelchair accessible toilet.

Closomat is the UKs leading provider of enabling toilet strategies, in domestic and commercial environments, be it a home bathroom adaptation to full project management of a Changing Places facility. It is the only company in the sector able to offer a complete package, from design advice through install to subsequent service and maintenance. Its website www.clos-o-mat.com has a raft of specification and support data, including white papers, CAD blocks, specification criteria and technical drawings, to the extent it is now the ‘go to’ resource for accessible toileting solutions.

Potential users of a wheelchair-accessible toilet with space, bench and hoist (Changing Places) include:

– 1.5m wheelchair users

– 6.5 million people who have either bladder or bowel incontinence

-1.5million people with a learning disability

– 1.2million people living with stroke

– 62,000 amputees

– 30,000 people with cerebral palsy

– 13,000 people with acquired brain injuries

– 8,500 people with multiple sclerosis

– 100,000 [people with muscular dystrophies

– 5000 people with motor neurone disease

– 8,000 people with spina bifida

– 40,000 people with spinal injuries

– 120,000 people with a stoma

– 3.8million adults morbidly obese

– 0.8million disabled children

– 8.7million people with osteoarthritis

– 400,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis

Tel 0161 969 1199; www.clos-o-mat.com; e: info@clos-o-mat.com