What are the minimum disabled toilet dimensions?
Everyone has the right to access sanitary toilet facilities when using shared or public spaces. However, there are some people with additional needs, for whom providing standard toilet cubicles is not enough, such as those with mobility issues.
For this reason, every building, whether that’s an office, school, hospital or other public place, must also provide disabled toilet facilities to building users.
But it’s not as simple as having a dedicated disabled cubicle, you must ensure you're meeting all the legal requirements and providing a comfortable and usable space for those with disabilities.
So, if you’re an employer, building owner or facilities manager looking to make improvements to your toilet facilities this year, this guide is for you.
Below, we’ll outline the minimum toilet for disabled dimension, along with other important information and advice for your bathroom cubicle design and washroom refurbishment project.
What are the right disabled toilet dimensions?
The Equality Act 2010 states that any building which offers toilet facilities must ensure there is adequate access for disabled people. This requires a wheelchair-accessible unisex toilet.
With this in mind, Document M (sometimes referred to as Doc M) was created to set out building regulations and outlines the recommended dimensions of a disabled toilet.
Based on this, the recommended disabled toilet dimensions are 2200mm deep by 1500mm wide.
Of course, if you choose to create a larger room, this will provide a bigger turning circle for wheelchair users and can make their experiences more comfortable. It’s worth keeping this in mind when thinking about your bathroom cubicle design.
Other important dimensions to consider
It’s not just about meeting the minimum disabled toilet dimensions, there are some other important figures you should know based on Doc M.
For one thing, you need to make the room easily accessible to all users and they must be able to reach all the facilities within. So here are the dimensions you need to be aware of.
Toilet door
To make these rooms accessible, particularly to those in a wheelchair, the door needs to be wide enough for them to comfortably go through. The minimum width of the door must be 900mm, though if you can go as wide as 950mm this is better.
The door must also swing outwards rather than inwards to ensure more space, and the door handle must be positioned at 1000mm above the floor.
Toilet pan
To enable wheelchair users and those with mobility issues to transfer easily onto the seat, the toilet pan must be a set height. The recommended height is 400mm, but certainly no higher than 500mm.
Sink
Sinks should be wall mounted and the rim must be between 700 and 850mm high, with a clear zone underneath so that wheelchair users can comfortably get close enough to the facilities. The clear zone underneath should be at least 400 to 600mm high.
Grab rails
Lastly, Doc M states that you must install grab rails, though these can vary depending on the venue and the design of your toilets. With that in mind, it’s best to check that you’re meeting all regulations before you install these.
That said, Doc M suggests that there should be a space of 1000mm long by 1000mm high and 100mm wide next to the toilet so that grab rails can be installed.
9 other features for your disabled toilet
While it’s vital that you get the dimensions right for every aspect of your disabled toilets, there are also some other important features that are common in all accessible toilets that we’re yet to cover. These include:
Non-slip flooring
Tactile tiles
Tactile ground surface indicators
Signage (this should include information in braille)
Motion censored lighting
An emergency pull cord
An accessible sink and hand dryers (as mentioned above)
Taps with an easy-to-grip lever
Paddle flush on the toilet
Why it’s so important to get your disabled toilets right
It doesn’t matter if it’s school toilets, healthcare washrooms, workplace toilet facilities or any other type of commercial bathroom, it’s vital that you understand the minimum disabled toilet dimensions.
Why?
Well, with more than 14.6 million disabled people living in the UK, it’s vital that they have adequate and fair access to toilet facilities.
As well as offering basic facilities and ensuring dignity for everyone, it’s also important that you meet regulations to protect yourself from any legal action.
So, if you’re planning a washroom refurbishment project in the near future, be sure to take note of the dimensions and key advice in the guide above.
But to truly ensure the best results for your disabled toilets, choose an expert bathroom design service provider who can meet your exact specifications and help you design beautiful and accessible washrooms that you’ll be proud of.