In the United States we have the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Many other countries have their own laws and regulations to accomplish similar goals.

Recently on a trip to Scotland I observed a public toilet room in a museum. It is very interesting how they designed and installed their public toilet room with features to make the space accessible for people with disabilities. Look at the photo below.

One of the features that stands out is the location and types of grab bars. There are three vertical grab bars, one on each side of the sink, and one on the left/open side of the toilet. There is a short, horizontal grab bar on the side wall next to the toilet. And there is a drop-down grab bar on the open side of the toilet.

Another design feature that stands out is the proximity of the sink to the toilet. In the ADA a space of 59 inches X 60 inches is required around a floor-mounted toilet for transfer clearance to the toilet from a wheelchair. The sink location at the Scottish toilet room would encroach on this space in the ADA. However, if the sink has the required knee/toe clearance below the sink that would probably still make this Scottish design work.

To the right of the sink there is an automated hand dryer and manual dispenser. See the photo below. The hand dryer is fine both in height above the finished floor and for protruding object limitations. However, the actuators at the top of the dispenser are more than 48 inches above the finished floor. The 2010 ADA Standards limit these actuators to 48 inches above the finished floor.

The photo below shows the baby changing table in this Scottish toilet room. This design is not that much different from what you will see in an ADA compliant toilet room, but the style is different.

SUMMARY: In the US we have the ADA to provide safe access to Title II and III facilities for individuals living with disabilities. Many other countries have similar requirements. This article provides information about an accessible public toilet room in Scotland.
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If you observe a facility or element that is not ADA compliant and you would like to know how to proceed, please see the link at What To Do When A Building Is Not ADA Compliant or Accessible.

ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, offers ADA/ABA/FHA accessibility compliance inspections for buildings and facilities, as applicable to the different laws, and expert witness services with respect to ADA/ABA/FHA laws for building owners, tenants and managers. Also, ADAIN offers consulting for home modifications as a CAPS consultant for people wishing to age in place in their homes. For a complete list of services please see ADAIN Services.

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