Often, restrooms are overlooked by facility and maintenance managers as a valuable guest experience tool. Visitors get an impression about your business, and are able to determine sustainability and cleanliness standards they experience your restrooms. Accessibility is a vital component in the guest experience, mandated to some degree by the government, but  more important than remaining compliant is prioritizing barrier-free access that affords everyone the same accommodation when they visit your building.

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There are more than eight million Canadians with disabilities, and about 20 per cent of the country’s population is 65 and older. Functionality for everyone is a proactive approach to public restroom, and there are steps that maintenance and building managers can take to ensure their restrooms are more accessible for users:

• Check on building codes and local legislation to stay compliant and on top of regulatory changes as they happen.
• Along with stalls that are wheelchair-friendly, ensure that the path to those stalls is wide enough for a wheelchair to easily maneuver.
• Install sinks, taps, and hand dryers or towel dispensers that can be reached by those in a wheelchair and accessed by those who require mobility aids. Install grad bars or support nearby for those who may need them.
• Include clear signage with a large font to help visually impaired visitors. This includes public signage that directs guests to the restrooms throughout the building.
• If entering your restrooms requires opening a door, install large automatic or sensored openers to simplify entering that part of your building. This could be a helpful feature for a wide range of guests including families with strollers, guests using walkers, wheelchairs or needing mobile assistance, people unable to push or pull a heavy door, and beyond.
• Touchless features like taps and toilets can help make your restrooms more accessible for those with dexterity challenges, so consider these upgrades when budgets allow.
• Include features like non-slip flooring or coatings to minimize slip and falls and increase safety for all users.

Offering guests an accessible restroom experience means improving your lasting impression and helping to make the world a little easier for those with accessibility needs. Maintenance and facility managers should stay informed about regulation changes and tools that become available on the market to offer functional restrooms that are accessible to everyone.