How can public restrooms be designed/adapted to better serve the needs of incontinent people?

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INTrePid

INTrePid

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  1. Diaper Lover
If you had the opportunity to design a public bathroom entirely from scratch with incontinent people in mind, what would you do? Personally, I quite like the ones that are set up as multiple individual room, single-occupancy unisex toilets with locking doors. That seems to me to be the ideal place to change, assuming they're large enough and have all the other necessary amenities like large trash bins. I think these also give the greatest amount of privacy for both incontinent and non-incontinent users.
It's rare to encounter the ideal public bathroom or have the opportunity to design it however, so the second part of this question is how you would retrofit or adapt existing public bathrooms to more diaper-wearer friendly. There are lots of possible ideas but I would start with having (decent size) trash bins in each individual stall if at all possible, or at least one in the larger handicapped stalls.
Have at it.
 
The family rest rooms work fine.
 
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has a ideal restroom for us its at the end of pier F under the Hotel Mecure its set up with a large bin for disposal and has enough room in it to drive a mack truck in so to speak and to cringe at a line up to use it ugh.
Other than that Wal Mart has a family restroom you can use its usually in the rear of the store. Other than shopping malls Hospitals and Doctors offices have single restrooms in it that are okay too . Gas stations whom have single stall and a exhaust fan to drown out the changing noise . Hope this helps out
 
Since I'm based in the U.S., a separate room will never happen, so the next best thing really is just a larger stall with either a shelf or a hook to place my backpack on the wall. I hate having to put it on the floor or behind the toilet.
 
The Family Restrooms are just fine, I just wish more places had them.
 
I always use the disabled toilet and have a radar key to access them. My continence advisor told me I was entitled to use the disabled loo and should get a key.
 
Same here, I'd like to see the family/disabled/unisex restrooms become standard.
 
I always try to use the disabled toilet, which in a nice place will have the following characteristics for diaper changing:
1. Large stall.
2. Hook on the door or stall for a pack.
3. Garbage can in the stall.
4. Sink in the stall.
5. Clean

The one thing they usually don't have (almost no stall has) is complete privacy. By that I mean no gaps in the damn stall walls!! I don't know how many times I've been changing in a stall and I can see through the gaps and people can see me. I really hate public restrooms, but I usually have no choice but to change in them or change in my car if I'm away from home. Yes, the fully closed restrooms are more private but they still need to have hooks on the wall or door. I don't want my backpack touching the floor!
 
I picked up a couple of plastic door hooks from the dollar store,tomuse when the stall does not have a proper hook so,I can keep my backpack off the floor
 
I have never actually thought about that really but I would say not only having a disabled toilet but having a adult changing room or a incontence room. Maybe not calling it a incontence room though. But basically having it in the toilets both male and female and it can be a seprate door like the disabled door where you can lock it. Inside they can have a changing table. A shelf with emergency diapers if anyone forgot theirs. A place to wash your hands. They also have these kinds of toilets now
Changing%20Places%20logo%20JPEG.jpg

This is a disabled changing room. They are usually locked but you can open them with a raider key.

ST50 said:
I always use the disabled toilet and have a radar key to access them. My continence advisor told me I was entitled to use the disabled loo and should get a key.
Click to expand...

That is a good idea as well.
 
ST50 said:
I always use the disabled toilet and have a radar key to access them. My continence advisor told me I was entitled to use the disabled loo and should get a key.
Click to expand...

Your work (I assume) keeps the disabled restroom locked? Why?
 
ClickyKeys said:
Your work (I assume) keeps the disabled restroom locked? Why?
Click to expand...

It's really only a little bit more common in Europe/UK. The idea is to be liberal and open in giving out the keys, while still preventing anyone else not remotely disabled from abusing them.
 
If I could design one it would be extra roomy. It would have a fold down table for those in a wheelchair with an attending helper. Hooks and/or shelves for packs or bags. A sealed diaper dispoasl bin. And yes, a shower!
 
a trash can in the disabled toilet stall
 
Spaz said:
I always try to use the disabled toilet, which in a nice place will have the following characteristics for diaper changing:
1. Large stall.
2. Hook on the door or stall for a pack.
3. Garbage can in the stall.
4. Sink in the stall.
5. Clean

The one thing they usually don't have (almost no stall has) is complete privacy. By that I mean no gaps in the damn stall walls!! I don't know how many times I've been changing in a stall and I can see through the gaps and people can see me. I really hate public restrooms, but I usually have no choice but to change in them or change in my car if I'm away from home. Yes, the fully closed restrooms are more private but they still need to have hooks on the wall or door. I don't want my backpack touching the floor!
Click to expand...

Those damn gaps in the stall doors. My local YMCA is guilty of this. When I go in to change out of my swimsuit I usually throw my towel and clothes over them, to at least give me a touch more privacy if I'm using the toilet, but eventually my clothes have to go on me and my towel needs to go in my bag, so I've just sort of gotten used to them.
 
More nappy disposal units. I have to deal with messy diapers, and neither trash bins nor sanitary disposal units are exactly appropriate.
 
im not IC but I have seen a couterto with a changing mat and a sink but it was a baby changing and it look nice
 
ClickyKeys said:
Your work (I assume) keeps the disabled restroom locked? Why?
Click to expand...

No -- Radar locks are used on toilets that might be in danger of being vandalised if they weren't locked. Like... remote unstaffed train stations.

In practise, you can buy a key for about £1.50 online. But vandals don't tend to plan in advance.
 
Like most - my design would be space and suitable disposal bins

The disabled toilet in. my local town has just had a refit and it seems perfect to me

1) Large adult changing tables
2) Very roomy
3) Loads of proper waste disposal bins
4) A hoist to get those in wheelchairs onto the change table
5) Yes a sink with shower head and a wet room style drain so you can be rinsed off when messy

Sound ideal to anyone else ??
 
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