Who uses accessible WCs?

A wide range of people find it impossible or extremely difficult to use standard WC accommodation, for a variety of reasons. It makes the provision of accessible loos a good proposition if you want to encourage people to play a part in community life or come and spend money.

Broad groups of users of accessible WCs include:

• independent disabled people – including people using sticks, crutches, frames or a wheelchair – who use the WC without assistance
• adults with a physical disability or medical condition, assisted by carers
• adults with mental health problems or learning difficulties, assisted by carers
• disabled parents with babies and small children disabled toddlers and children, assisted by parents/carers
• young or older people assisted by carers
• visually impaired people alone or assisted by carers
• anyone using an assistance dog
• older people who may need extra space or who find accessible WCs safer and easier to use because of layout and grabrails
• older people who need assistance from personal carers
• people who benefit from extra space and equipment because of incontinence and colostomy/ileostomy, who may need to catheterise themselves (for example, people who have undergone cancer treatment) and/or empty colostomy/ileostomy bags and urine bottles
• people of short stature (dwarfism) who find they can become trapped in standard WCs because of the height of door handles or cubicle locks
• parents and carers of babies and small children who need extra space or who need to keep children with them while they use the WC
• parents, grandparents and carers accompanying small children of the opposite sex
• anyone travelling alone with luggage who does not want to leave it unguarded while they use the WC

Disabled people who need to use accessible WCs may include:

• people with arthritis, which affects the joints, who may find it difficult to bend or grip
• hemiplegics (with paralysis down one side) who have difficulty balancing
• paraplegics who may have total or partial paralysis of the lower limbs and will therefore be unable to stand up without support and/or assistance
• tetraplegics who have either total or varying degrees of paralysis of both upper and lower limbs, and who may have very weak arms. They are normally unable to stand at all and may need assistance with transfer
• people with ataxia whose involuntary movements make them particularly vulnerable to sharp, protruding features
• ambulant (walking) disabled people who may need extra support
• visually impaired people who appreciate good colour contrast and lighting and, if accompanied by an assistance dog, need larger than standard compartments
• hearing impaired people accompanied by an assistance dog

Note: there are 3.3 million families with children under the age of five.

Number of disabled people in Britain

The term 'disabled person' covers people with a wide range of disabilities and health conditions – from a visual impairment to arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, depression, Downs Syndrome and diabetes.

There are over 10 million disabled people in Britain; of which, 4.6 million are over State Pension Age and 700,000 are children. (Family Resources Survey: 2003-2004).

Disability increases with age: only 10 per cent of adults aged 16-24 are disabled, while one third of people between the age of 50 and retirement age are disabled. By 2020, 58 per cent of people over the age of 50 will have a long term health condition. The World Trade Organisation predicts that depression will be the leading cause of disability by 2020.

The annual spending power of disabled adults is and is still around £80 billion. (Family Resources Survey: 2003-2004).