Event planners and organisers have to offer complete accessibility to all. Our guide looks in detail at the legislation in place surrounding the provision of disabled and accessible facilities, to ensure your event will be fully compliant.
A large part of organising a public event is ensuring that your chosen venue is accessible to anyone attending the event. However, this covers not only access to the venue but also ensuring that facilities like washrooms and toilets are accessible too. In the UK, there are two pieces of legislation that have a bearing on portable toilet hire for public events.
The Disability Act (2010)
The Disability Act sets out that all attendees on any site have the legal right to access adequate facilities. It also outlines that those providing the facilities i.e. event planners and organisers, operations and facilities managers, must provide accessible and inclusive sanitation facilities as a basic human right.
The Equality Act (2010)
While the Disability Act outlines the rights of disabled people to access facilities, The Equality Act states what is meant by ‘disabled’. Disability is defined as a physical or mental condition which has a substantial and long-term affect on a person’s ability to carry out normal daily activities. The Equality Act (2010) replaced the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) in England, Wales and Scotland.
The Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
Still applicable in Northern Ireland, The DDA makes it “unlawful to discriminate against disabled persons in connection with employment, the provision of goods, facilities and services or the disposal or management of premises”.
How The Equality Act (2010) affects event organisers
The Act sets out that “Direct discrimination occurs where, because of disability, a person receives worse treatment than someone who does not have a disability. The Act is intended to stop people being denied a service, or receiving a worse service, because of prejudice”. Organisers must therefore ensure that all events are accessible and inclusive.
Disabled toilet hire from JB Event Facilities
To ensure compliance and accessibility at your event, we offer three portable disabled toilet hire solutions.
Luxury Accessible Toilet Unit
Our luxury accessible toilet unit offers sufficient space for wheelchair users to manoeuvre comfortably, and features a reduced-height sink and mirror. The ramp has a hand rail at either side and the unit is capable of being lowered flat to the ground. With running hot and cold water, plus internal heaters in the colder months, the units are supplied with all required toiletries and consumables, including luxury soap and hand moisturiser, hand towels and toilet paper.
High Dependency Unit (HDU)
Perfect for ensuring compliance at large-scale events, the High Dependency Unit is fully equipped for disabled people and their carers. With wide doors, handrails and heating, the unit also features a hoist and lift, plus adjustable bed and privacy screen in compliance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995. The unit can run off a domestic electric supply but where this is not practical, we are able to provide generator hire.
Accessible Toilets with Baby Changer
This accessible toilet unit with baby changer is a versatile single portable toilet that offers value for money. The unit features roll-in, ground level access with extra-wide doors for wheelchair and pushchair users and has a fully-flushing toilet. All consumables are provided, including alcohol hand sanitisers and toilet paper.
The benefits of disabled toilet hire from JB Event Facilities
All our hire contracts include our full 24-hour telephone support service, which gives you access to a team of dedicated technicians who are available to respond to emergencies. We deliver, install and collect all our units at a time to suit you and all waste is discreetly removed for ethical disposal. All consumables provided are environmentally friendly.
To see how we can help your next event be accessible, inclusive and compliant, call us now on 01280 851200 or email us at info@jbeventfacilities.co.uk today.
