Non Compliant Toilets
A Unisex Accessible Toilet (USAT) is required so that a person who needs to use the toilet with a carer of the opposite gender, can both access the facility from a common area. Ambulant toilets are for people who can walk but with the assistance of a mobility aid.
The following are only a few of the key areas which may present some access issues.
- Signage of USAT
- Abuse / unauthorized use
- Problem opening / closing / locking the door
- Difficult to open the door (e.g. too heavy or wrong handle type)
- Handrails / grab rails
- Wheelchair circulation space inside/ outside door
- Toilet amenities out of reach / not working
If you believe that you have been discriminated against through inaccessible Bathrooms or Toilets, please feel free to fill out and submit our Disability Discrimination Complaint (DDC) Form, which we will review, then take to the relevant authororities.
You can also read the information and follow the links below the form to find out more about Accessible Bathrooms and Toilets and the companies and organisations that provide Universal Design & Access services in South Africa.
Accessible Toilets & Bathrooms
An accessible toilet is a special bathroom designed to accommodate people with physical disabilities, they are sometimes known as Disabled Toilets. Public Toilets can present accessibility challenges for people with disabilities, such as those people in wheelchairs. Stalls may not be able to fit a wheelchair in, and transferring between the wheelchair and the toilet seat may pose a challenge. Accessible Toilets are designed to address these issues by providing more space and Grab Bars/Rails for users to grab and hold onto during transfers.
The South African National Standard for Building Regulations
The South African Government through The South African National Standard for Building Regulations makes laws that insure that new buildings are designed & build with a certain amount of Disabled Toilets:
In any building where facilities for persons with disabilities are required in terms of Regulation S1, there shall be one or more toilets or unisex toilet facilities suitable for use by wheelchair users.
Persons with disabilities should be able to safely enter the building (Ramps) and be able to safely use all the facilities within it – specifically toilets.
Organizations & Companies That Can Assist With Universal Design & Access
Unfortunately many buildings in South Africa have toilets and bathrooms that were not designed and built to accommodate wheelchair users or the elderly. The owners of these buildings may therefore be challenged by the need to find architects and renovators familiar with accessible design issues in order to make them accessible.There are now various Organizations and Companies that specialize in Universal Design and Access and can advise you on how to adapt these Bathrooms to make sure that persons with disabilities have equal rights and no loss of dignity.These Organizations and Companies include: