A self-closing device should not be fitted to the door of a Changing Places Toilet unless the door is an accessible power-operated door or a fire door.
If a manually operated door is provided, the door handle should be a light action lever lock. The door handle should be operable with a closed fist.
The privacy bolt or lock should incorporate a visual indicator to display whether the Changing Places Toilet is vacant or occupied.
A minimum of 1000mm effective clear width is required on the Changing Places Toilet door. This is to accommodate large, wheeled mobility devices.
There should be an unobstructed space of at least 600mm on the pull side of the door between the leading edge of the door (when it opens towards you) and a return wall unless the door is opened by remote automatic control.
Doors to Changing Places Toilets should have an emergency release mechanism for example, lifting off hinges or a lock which can be opened from the outside.
If a manual outward opening door is provided, it should be fitted with a 600mm long horizontal rail 900mm above floor level.
Provision of an outward-opening door allows for maximum wheelchair circulation space inside the facility and is the preferred option, as an outward opening door can be opened easily in an emergency if a person has fallen against the door inside the room. Outward opening doors on major access routes and escape routes should be recessed so that when fully open, they do not project into the corridor space. The depth of the recess should not be less than the width of the door leaf.
Automatic doors should be provided, where possible, because opening a door while guiding a wheelchair can be difficult. Controls for automatic doors should be easy to use and should contrast visually with their background. For further guidance on automatic doors, refer to ‘Section 2.6.6 of Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach, Booklet 2, Entrances and horizontal circulation’.
Should sliding doors be provided, the guidance on sliding doors in ‘Section 5.10.3 of Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach, Booklet 5, Sanitary Facilities’ should be followed.
Acoustic privacy should be considered in a Changing Places Toilet, as it enhances the dignity and privacy of the people using the facilities. Doors should be designed with acoustic properties to enable speech privacy. Speech privacy means that when conversations are taking place, listeners may hear sounds, but cannot make out what the speakers are saying.