Accessible toilets

For members of our community with access requirements, adapted and accessible facilities are a necessity. This can mean wheelchair users, people with mobility issues and those with medical needs (eg stoma management), but also individuals with non-visible disabilities or those who may require accessible facilities for different reasons.

There are a range of facilities available across campus for those without access requirements, including gender specific toilets, all gender facilities, showers and changing rooms. If you don't need to use the adapted/accessible facilities, please don't.

Why access matters

There are many disabled staff and students across the University, and some of them have explained why access to these facilities is vital for them.

Professor Jamie Wood, who chairs the disabled staff network, INCLUDE, said: “One of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis is a slow loss of function. Amongst many other problems, one of the most immediate is going to the toilet - when you need to go, you really need to go - and those pesky legs aren't so available for running anymore. This is immensely frustrating, but there is recognition that this is a hugely disabling issue that affects many different people, in different ways, due to many different conditions and the University provides toilet facilities that are accessible. They come with plentiful grab rails, easy opening doors and lots of other features as well as just a bit more space for those of us on wheels rather than feet. Sadly these features aren't optional extras, they are essential to enable many of us to perform one of the most, ahem, basic functions.”

Another staff member commented: “There is nothing more frustrating and anxiety-inducing than finding an accessible toilet occupied when you really need to use it. If you have issues with bladder or bowel urgency, three or four minutes can be the difference between relief and potential humiliation! Obviously this can sometimes just be bad luck, but at other times it is clear that someone just nipped in because it was more convenient than the other toilets, or thought it would be nicer to take their time in the larger space an accessible loo provides.”

Not all disabilities are visible

But of course, this isn't a simple problem, it's sensitive and sometimes difficult.

A member of staff explained “As someone with an invisible disability, I feel self-conscious about using accessible toilets, even though my condition, Crohn's disease, means I sometimes need very rapid access to suitable toilet facilities with an integrated wash-basin. I have experienced people seeing me coming out of an accessible toilet as giving them permission to use this facility for convenience, because they assume that's what I'm doing too. I really don't want to have to explain this aspect of my disability to colleagues, so it is important that non-disabled people leave these facilities for those who need them, and are aware that not all disabilities are visible.”

The need might not just be physical: another member of our community said "I need access to disabled toilets because standard public toilets can be really overwhelming for me as an autistic person. The noise from hand dryers, bright lights, strong smells, and the general busyness can cause sensory overload, making it difficult for me to use them comfortably. A disabled toilet gives me the space and privacy I need to manage these things without feeling rushed or anxious. For me, using a disabled toilet isn’t about convenience - it’s an essential adjustment that helps me manage my needs in a public setting."

In this spirit, we would like to remind everyone that members of our community who rely upon the availability of accessible toilet facilities must take priority. If you do not need to use an accessible toilet, don't, even if you think that you won't cause anyone any inconvenience. You don't know whether someone close by has a greater need than you.

If you have any questions about the availability of facilities, you can contact the Estates team by emailing campus-development@york.ac.uk.

Find out more about our inclusive facilities

Published on behalf of the University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee