The Differences Between Ambulant & Accessible Bathrooms

If, as a business, you’re looking to make your premises more accessible, catering to a wider range of people and addressing different concerns, this is of course highly commendable… and entirely necessary.

But it’s important to familiarise yourself with the various concepts attached to this endeavour so you know that you’re providing the most appropriate facilities for your customers and members of the general public, taking into account size of space and overall budget.

One area that can be confusing for people is understanding the difference between ambulant and accessible bathrooms… so here’s a quick guide to the two.

 

What are ambulant bathrooms?

Ambulant bathrooms are those that have been specifically designed for people who don’t need to use a wheelchair but who still require certain adaptations to be made to these spaces. For example, people with arthritis or sensory loss, or who use walking frames, would benefit from ambulant bathrooms.

These facilities would be a good option if you have less space to play around with onsite but still want to make sure that as many people as possible are provided with access to washrooms.

 

What are accessible bathrooms?

Accessible bathrooms are those that have been designed to ensure that there is sufficient space to accommodate both a wheelchair and an additional person in the space. 

Other features are often also found here, such as hoists, grab rails, low-height washbasins and mirrors, lever taps, outward opening doors, emergency alarm pull cords, raised-height toilets with paddle-style flush handles, and changing tables.

 

How can you make your bathrooms more accessible?

Even if you can’t accommodate a wheelchair, there are plenty of other ways to make bathroom facilities more accessible, including:

• Installing anti-slip floor coverings
• Ensuring lighting systems are good
• Considering visual contrast
• Installing a privacy screen
• Installing height-adjustable basins to ensure multi-use

If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the Practical Bathing team today.