Accessibility to commercial buildings - sanitary facilities

A new BRANZ-commissioned study by WSP Research reveals that many public and commercial bathrooms in New Zealand - such as in libraries, sports centres, museums, transport hubs, education facilities and eateries - aren’t meeting the needs of diverse users. Over 3,000 people took part in the nationwide loo review. Key findings include: - one in five said public bathrooms don’t meet their needs - nearly 50% of disabled respondents said facilities are often inadequate - one in three often face long waits - especially women, parents and disabled users - one in six reported feeling unsafe using public toilets. The study Accessibility to commercial buildings? sanitary facilities highlights widespread issues with accessibility, safety and cultural inclusivity. Common problems include poor layouts, missing features like grab rails and baby changing stations and a lack of gender-neutral or culturally appropriate options. The report calls for urgent updates to Building Code Acceptable Solution G1/AS1 to ensure our public toilets are inclusive, safe, and flexible for all.