Teesside University is leading the field in health & wellbeing with an ‘all-inclusive’ approach to student needs.

The University is the first of its kind in the region- and possibly the first in the UK- to install and open a Changing Places assisted, accessible toilet. The facility is strategically located by the University’s new landmark building The Gym, next door to its state-of-art sports facilities.

The Changing Places toilet- supplied and installed by Closomat, Britain’s biggest provider of away from home toilet solutions for disabled people- features all the equipment now expected in a full-specification Changing Places to British Standards*. It therefore has 12m2 of space, plus a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and hoist. To further extend the room’s use for as many disabled people as possible, the University has also replaced the conventional peninsular WC with a Closomat Palma Vita wash and dry toilet with touch sensitive switch.

In designing and specifying the new Centre, our sport & wellbeing team took professional advice from our disability team; they recommended a Changing Places as an industry standard. We were also conscious about the need to replace and upgrade a similar facility that served the old gym,

explained Andy Maclaren, Teesside University Assistant Director Estates Services & Energy Procurement.

Under BS8300:2009, a Changing Places toilet is ‘desirable’ in buildings to which numbers of the public have access, including educational establishments. Its counterpart hygiene room is a requirement under Department of Education guidelines. With more space and specialist equipment, a Changing Places means that disabled people who need a carer to help them with their personal hygiene have an appropriate environment in which to deal with toilet needs.

Closomat is Britain’s biggest provider of fully accessible toilets, including a substantial number of Changing Places facilities. It is unique in its ability to deliver- in-house- design advice, supply, installation, commissioning, project management and maintenance across the ambit of accessible toileting equipment, including the Closomat wash and dry (automatic) toilet. To help leisure venues ‘get it right’, Closomat has a raft of downloadable information on its website, including sector-specific white papers, CAD blocks, room renders and videos.