by Brianna Crandall — February 10, 2017 — A new pub in Wellington in rural Somerset County, England, developed by pub and hotel chain JD Wetherspoon is setting new standards for accessibility for its community. The Iron Duke pub — named after the Duke of Wellington — is the latest of the chain’s venues to incorporate a Changing Places for anyone who also needs additional equipment such as a bench and/or hoist.
JD Wetherspoon’s The Iron Duke pub, named after the Duke of Wellington, incorporates a Baby Change area and the Changing Places wheelchair-accessible assistance toilet.
Supplied and installed by Clos-o-Mat, the Changing Places toilet means children and adults who needs a carer’s help with their personal hygiene have the appropriate space and equipment to do so hygienically. The alternative would be to curtail their visit, lie their loved one on the toilet floor to change them, or not be able to enjoy a relaxing drink and meal out with friends and family, notes the company.
All toilets at The Iron Duke — Women, Men, Baby Change and the Changing Places — are accessed directly off the main bar area, with entry to the Changing Places toilet being via RADAR key.
The Changing Places toilet includes a peninsular toilet, washbasin, height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, and ceiling-track hoist.
Jon Matthews, Wetherspoon’s development manager, pointed out:
Pubs traditionally are the focal point of any community. As a company we aim to ensure that all members of a community, including those with disabilities, can access and enjoy what we have to offer.
A Changing Places toilet is listed as “desirable” under the U.K.’s Building Regulations Approved Document M 2015, and BS8300:2009, for all new-build and refurbishment projects involving buildings to which numbers of the public have access. Under British Standards, it provides a minimum 12 sq m, and includes a peninsular toilet, washbasin, height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, and ceiling-track hoist.
According to Clos-o-Mat, there are now over 900 Changing Places toilets open across the U.K.; JD Wetherspoon, which has already won national awards for its toilet facilities, is the only leading brand of pub chain to incorporate the facilities wherever possible in its new-build and refurbishment projects.
Clos-o-Mat supplies and installs away-from-home assisted accessible toilet facilities. The company provides a single source to deliver design advice, project management, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance across the ambit of accessible toileting equipment. In addition, the company says its Web site is an essential reference point for anyone considering installing a Changing Places toilet, offering white papers, 2D and 3D CAD drawings, standard layouts, and video.
