Women and Men Have Different Needs 111
Making toilets easier to use
There are many ways to make toilets easier for children and adults with
disabilities to use. People need different adaptations depending
on their abilities, so it is best to involve disabled people in the
planning. Be creative in finding solutions that fit everyone’s needs.
Removable front bar
can be added
if needed
If a person has difficulty squatting, make a
simple hand support or a raised seat. Or, if the
toilet is set in the ground, make a hole in the seat
of a chair or stool and place it over the toilet.
If a person has difficulty controlling her body, make
supports for her back, sides, and legs, and a seat belt or bar.
Use a rope or fence to guide blind people from the house to
the toilet.
If a person has difficulty adjusting clothing, adapt the clothing to make it
loose or elastic. Make a clean, dry place to lie down and dress.
If a person has difficulty sitting you can make moveable handrails and steps.
shelter big enough so that
a wheelchair can fit inside
bell or something to make
noise, if help is needed
backrest to support seating
hand rail to make moving from
wheelchair to toilet easier
toilet seat and wheelchair
on same level
Toilet adapted for wheelchairs
wide door that
opens outward for
easy access
door handle
with pull cord
path to the toilet is
level and easy to get
to from the house
Remember, a person with a disability feels the same need for privacy as anyone
else and should get the privacy he or she needs.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012