Biggest design mistakes in otherwise-abled spaces
Written by
12 October 2022
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4 min read
Despite huge advances in bathroom products for accessible spaces in the past decade, the design of commercial accessible bathrooms too often ends up looking like lavatories you’d find in a hospital or public toilets.
But given there are such beautiful and functional products on the market, why are our accessible spaces still sorely lacking?
Sean Paterson, director of SA Plumbing Supply, says architects and designers need to stop treating spaces that require accessible design as an afterthought.
“They need to stop being work-shy, and make the effort they put into other spaces and put the same amount of care into an accessible space. Their approach to designing accessible spaces has to change.”
While much accessible bathroom design is catered toward hotel or retirement village sectors, the same principles can be applied to any building that requires compliant bathrooms for those who are differently-abled.
Besides, accessible and universal design is not just for people with lasting or permanent disabilities, it caters to most people throughout the different stages of their lives.
“It’s likely that most of the population will benefit from well-designed accessible bathrooms, whether due to ageing, temporary disability from a sports injury, accident or surgery, or during a pregnancy,” says Sean.
“Every building – from public and commercial to residential – should integrate design that accommodates all of us, at all stages of life and mobility. And with a rapidly ageing population, never have the phrases ‘future-proofing’ and ‘sustainable’ been more meaningful.”
Top design mistakes that scream ‘differently-abled’
Lifting accessible design above the minimum standards
Nearly one in three New Zealanders will experience a permanent disability, and many more will experience a temporary one; despite this, little focus to date has been on developing creative and innovative accessible design solutions. All too often, the spaces required to be ‘accessible’ remain institutional, dated and inconsistent with the look and feel developed for the rest of the building.
“Why shouldn’t an accessible bathroom look stylish?” says Sean. “Why should differently-abled people have to put up with dated and institutional design that delivers a different experience to the users of non-accessible bathrooms? Great design should be applied to all spaces.”
