If you’ve never had to think about it, it’s possible that you think that accessible, ambulant and disabled bathrooms are all the same. We’ve sometimes seen project requests come through using these terms interchangeably however, all three terms mean something different and some companies are unaware that ambulant and accessible toilets are different things.
That being said, what are the compliance requirements for ambulant toilets as per the Australian Standards? These are outlined in Clause 16 of AS 1428.1 of the Australian Standards – Design for access and mobility. We outline these below.
-
- There needs to be clear circulation spaces of 900mm x 900mm on both sides of the entry door
- Full signage specifications as per details in AS1428.1
- Where snibs are installed, they need to have a lever handle of a minimum length of 45 mm from the centre of the spindle
- 900-920mm width inside the cubicle
- There needs to be 900mm distance between the door swing and the toilet pan
- A coat hook needs to be installed at a height between 1350 mm to 1500 mm from the floor
- Grab rails can’t be less than 30 mm and not more than 40 mm in diameter
- Exposed edges and corners of grab rails need a radius of not less than 5 mm
- Grab rails need to be able to withstand a force of 1100N applied in any position
- There needs to be a toilet roll holder in an accessible location
- The wash basin or sink needs to be outside the circulation spaces outlined above
- Doors to sanitary compartments for people with ambulant disabilities shall have openings with a minimum clear width of 700 mm
For more information about Access for People with Disabilities standards please see https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/sa-snz/building/me-064
If you would like to speak with one of our experts about our ambulant toilet buildings, call us today on (07) 3889 6144.