Safer showering for all – the LUDA® AKW Intelligent Shower
New from AKW, market-leading provider of elderly and disabled bathing products, is the LUDA Intelligent Shower. Featuring an advanced thermostatic control and an IP45-rated waterproof shower unit, the LUDA carries a comprehensive BEAB Care approval and RNIB accreditation.
Audio bleeps, LED illumination and tactile control buttons allow partially- sighted users to retain complete control of the power, temperature and water flow settings.
An extended hose-length plus height- adjustable shower head, soap dish and shelf allow for seated or standing use. The LUDA has three variable settings to save water as well as 10kW of power to
bring constant, year-round performance plus a two-year warranty for total peace of mind.
The 1m riser-rail also doubles as a grab-rail for additional support and a lever system, which can be added to the base of the rail, also allows seated users to easily adjust the shower head direction. Designed for easy cleaning, the LUDA’s tapered design gives more space in the shower enclosure for seated users. Ideal for use in social housing projects, healthcare and the home, the LUDA can be connected to all AKW digital waste pumps and comes with a two-year warranty for total peace of mind.
www.akw-medicare.co.uk
Increase accessibility and help change lives
Robin Tuffley, marketing manager at Total Hygiene, commercial partner of the ‘Changing Places’ campaign, examines the rationale for such facilities
In the current climate, competition is fierce to attract the public to visit particular locations and spend money, yet for hundreds of thousands of people, they couldn’t go even if they want to... an untapped market.
The reason for such restriction is simple: lack of appropriate toilet facilities. For many of the 10m registered disabled people in the UK, current ‘Document M’ toilets can’t be used, because they need the help of at least one carer. As our population continues to survive longer with all the issues of mobility and mental dexterity associated with ageing, that figure is set to grow.
Hence the development by a
consortium including MENCAP, Pamis and the Scottish Parliament, of the ‘Changing Places’ concept – an appropriately designed and equipped toilet/changing facility that extends beyond current, basic ‘disabled toilet’ standards. Since the concept was developed, some 200 ‘Changing places’ have already been installed, in locations from travel hubs through leisure attractions to colleges. There have even been two ‘portable’
18 feature :: facilities for the disabled/dda
versions at the 2010 V Festival! ‘Changing Places, Changing Lives’ was born from the realization that many people feel, or are, trapped in their own homes because of the lack of appropriate toilet facilities ‘out and about’. We all go to the toilet on average eight times a day. Imagine if you are, or care for someone, in a wheelchair, and either cannot physically find a toilet big enough to accommodate you both and the wheelchair, or have to be changed or change them on the floor? How do you undertake basic daily tasks such as shopping, or why should you be excluded from visiting the latest film or a particular venue?
A ‘Changing places’ facility differs from a conventional ‘Document M’ toilet, being at least 12m2
, and including a peninsular
toilet, height adjustable changing bench, height adjustable basin, privacy screen and hoist. It is already Code of Practice in the UK under BS8300:2009 Accessible Building Design, and is likely to be included in the Building Regulations when Approved Document M is revised in 2013, applying to all new buildings, and major refurbishment programmes, to which numbers of the public have access. Compliance could therefore not just be voluntary, as now, but law.
Statistics show the UK’s registered disabled population has a combined annual spending power of £80billion! They also reveal that 83% of disabled people ‘walked away’ from inaccessible or unwelcoming
Building & Facilities Management – November 2010
businesses. Figures released by VisitEngland show overnight trips made by, or accompanied by, someone with a health impairment or condition accounted for almost £1billion in the first six months of 2009 alone: a figure that could be significantly increased if more appropriate toilets were available – including ‘Changing places’ facilities. Tourism for All has numerous case studies ranging from independent operators to international chains that have seen a significant increase in business, such as occupancy levels almost doubled, by making even small adjustments to accommodate disabled guests.
Therefore, there is not just an ethical and potentially legal obligation to invest in a ‘Changing places’ facility, but proven commercial reasons. So get ahead of the competition, and provide facilities for everyone: as the adage goes, you have to spend money to make money!
www.changingplaces.org
Facilities for the Disabled/DDA
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