I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends to provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x 1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The best compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone have experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with this layout?

TIA!

David.

On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:25:27 -0800 (PST), "Dave N."
wrote:

I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends to provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x 1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The best compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone have experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with this layout?

The facility in a school that I frequently visit is designed to be as
versatile as possible but it has just the one wash-basin set at a
suitable height for a wheelchair user. The thinking is that whilst a
wheelchair user might struggle to reach a high basin, the others would
have no real difficulty in stooping a little when using a low one.

School was designed and built by the local council and finished in
2005 (one of the few schools at the time not to have been built under
a PFI contract) but I have no idea whether regulations have changed
since then.

HTH

Nick

On 16/02/2013 20:12, Nick Odell wrote:
On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:25:27 -0800 (PST), "Dave N."
wrote:

I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends to provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x 1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The best compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone have experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with this layout?

The facility in a school that I frequently visit is designed to be as
versatile as possible but it has just the one wash-basin set at a
suitable height for a wheelchair user. The thinking is that whilst a
wheelchair user might struggle to reach a high basin, the others would
have no real difficulty in stooping a little when using a low one.

A number of banks have done the same thing with their cash machines. I
have often thought that this could open them to challenge on the grounds
of both sex and disability discrimination - men are generally taller
than women, therefore lower machines are more of a problem for us and
far more people suffer from back problems and have difficulty bending
than are in wheelchairs!

SteveW

"SteveW" wrote in message
...
On 16/02/2013 20:12, Nick Odell wrote:
On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:25:27 -0800 (PST), "Dave N."
wrote:

I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends
to provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and
has two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately
2.4 x 1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and
ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have
two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users
is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the
wheelchair user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The
best compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin
on the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the
opposite wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone
have experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with
this layout?

The facility in a school that I frequently visit is designed to be as
versatile as possible but it has just the one wash-basin set at a
suitable height for a wheelchair user. The thinking is that whilst a
wheelchair user might struggle to reach a high basin, the others would
have no real difficulty in stooping a little when using a low one.

A number of banks have done the same thing with their cash machines. I
have often thought that this could open them to challenge on the grounds
of both sex and disability discrimination - men are generally taller than
women, therefore lower machines are more of a problem for us and far more
people suffer from back problems and have difficulty bending than are in
wheelchairs!

Clearly they haven't found that to be a problem legally.

I have been in a lot of disabled toilets in the last year and I've never
seen one with two sinks. The sink is usually at a compromise height then
down a tad.

Bill

On Feb 16, 7:25*pm, "Dave N." wrote:
I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. *The charity intends to provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x 1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and ambulant users in each toilet. *To achieve this it is necessary to have two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. *The best compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. *Does anyone have experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with this layout?

TIA!

David.

How about this?
http://www.disabilityaids.co.nz/disa...sins-vanities/

Well the only issue is that not all wheelchairs are the sam size and the
turning round aspect. I can remember a local store mucking up the latter by
retrofitting something on the wall.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Dave N." wrote in message
...
I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends to
provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has two
rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x 1.7m,
which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and
ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have two
basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very
low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair
user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The best compromise
for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on the same wall in
the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite wall would restrict
the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone have experience of doing this and
are there any potential problems with this layout?

TIA!

David.

On Feb 16, 8:12*pm, Nick Odell wrote:
On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:25:27 -0800 (PST), "Dave N."

wrote:

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and ambulant users in each toilet. *To achieve this it is necessary to have two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

The facility in a school that I frequently visit is designed to be as
versatile as possible but it has just the one wash-basin set at a
suitable height for a wheelchair user. The thinking is that whilst a
wheelchair user might struggle to reach a high basin, the others would
have no real difficulty in stooping a little when using a low one.

Basin at wheelchair-user height is no real problem - slightly awkward
to bend for it, but no biggie.

But for gawd's sake if you're fitting a mirror, have it big enough to
be useful both to wheelchair users, and to people standing - where
there is a small mirror at the right height to see it when sitting, it
is a real contortion to see it when standing.

--
John

"Dave N." wrote:
I'm working for a charity fitting out a pavilion. The charity intends to
provide facilities for wheelchair and ambulant disabled users, and has
two rooms in the building allocated as toilets, both approximately 2.4 x
1.7m, which is a good size for a wheelchair accessible toilet.

Ideally we would like to provide a combined facility for wheelchair and
ambulant users in each toilet. To achieve this it is necessary to have
two basins at different heights because the basin for wheelchair users is very low.

Building regs doc M prefers a room at least 2.0m wide with the wheelchair
user basin on one side and the higher basin opposite. The best
compromise for our 1.7m wide room would be to have the second basin on
the same wall in the corner by the door, since a basin on the opposite
wall would restrict the wheelchair turning space. Does anyone have
experience of doing this and are there any potential problems with this layout?

TIA!

David.

Have you considered a manually adjustable sink mount?

http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/per...nformation.htm

Tim

On Feb 16, 8:12*pm, Nick Odell wrote:


The facility in a school that I frequently visit is designed to be as
versatile as possible but it has just the one wash-basin set at a
suitable height for a wheelchair user. The thinking is that whilst a
wheelchair user might struggle to reach a high basin, the others would
have no real difficulty in stooping a little when using a low one.

You don't specify the sort of school. Might most of the other users be
less than normal adult height? That could have a bearing on the
design.

MBQ

Many thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Originally I thought the single sink near the toilet for wheelchair users would be fine, then we measured for it and realised that it will be rather low.

The charity's main function is to provide a therapeutic garden for people with all kinds of disabilities, and there are certainly some older users with back problems who might struggle to use a low sink.

Maybe my best bet is to look at a few disabled toilets when I have the chance and see what they've done - I certainly haven't ever seen a second basin in the same cubicle, but maybe many facilities have a separate washroom. Just need to be able to look discreetly (I'm imagining the CCTV footage of a dodgy looking character who seems to have a fascination with disabled toilets appearing on Crimewatch!)

Thanks!

David.

Had a chat with the BCO, and she prefers the simple expedient of making one of the two WCs wheelchair accessible and optimising the other for ambulant users. Originally the charity's trustees had a distinct preference for having two dual-purpose toilets, but with the BCO's suggestion I think they're coming round to the idea. Simples

Many thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

David.