The Secret of Toilet Doors! How Do They Keep Everyone Safe?

Accessible in Japan
The Secret of Toilet Doors! How Do They Keep Everyone Safe?

Hello, students from all around the world! I teach barrier-free (accessible) design classes to elementary and middle school students in Japan. I’m writing this article to share information about barrier-free (accessible) design in Japan with you. I hope this information about barrier-free (accessible) design in Japan will inspire you to think about accessibility in your own country!

Have you heard of barrier-free (accessible) design? It’s an idea about removing various obstacles and difficulties so that everyone can live safely and comfortably. Today, we’re going to learn about something surprisingly deep: toilet doors!

🚽 Quiz Time!

Here’s a quiz for you!

Q. There are inward-opening, outward-opening, and sliding doors for toilets. When using an inward-opening door, what special feature is desirable?

The answer is…

A. The ability to remove the door

Are you surprised? Let’s learn more about why toilet doors can be removed.

🔍 Unveiling the Secret of Toilet Doors!

First, did you know there are mainly three types of toilet doors?

  1. Inward-opening: Doors that open into the room
  2. Outward-opening: Doors that open towards the hallway
  3. Sliding doors: Doors that slide sideways to open

Each type has its advantages and challenges, but we need to be especially careful with inward-opening doors.

Why? Because if someone falls inside the toilet, and they’re in front of the door, it can’t be opened from outside. That’s when a removable door becomes very important – it allows us to help quickly.

This is why the “removable feature” is so important. It’s a crucial design to keep everyone safe.

Sliding doors are good for small spaces because they don’t need extra room to open. However, they’re chosen after considering various factors like emergency response and ease of cleaning.

💡 Expert’s View: The Importance of Safety Design

This “removable feature” is an important element of safety design. Not just for toilets, but safety-conscious design is implemented in various places.

For example, emergency buttons in elevators and emergency exits in buildings come from the same kind of thinking.

There are many such safety features hidden in our surroundings.

🌍 Global Safety Standards

Many countries around the world have strict standards for building safety. For example, in the United States and European countries, public buildings are required to have facilities for emergencies.

The design of toilet doors also follows each country’s safety standards. While specific rules may differ between countries, the important goal of “protecting people’s safety” is the same.

🤔 How About in Your Country?

Now, how about in your country?

  • What types of toilet doors are common in schools and public places?
  • Are there any special features for emergencies?
  • What kind of barrier-free (accessible) designs can you find?

It might be interesting to discuss this with your family or teachers.

🌈 Towards a Barrier-Free (Accessible) Society

Barrier-free (accessible) design isn’t just for people with disabilities. The goal is to create a society where everyone, from children to the elderly, can live safely and comfortably.

There are things you can do too. For example:

  1. Be considerate of people around you
  2. Offer help to people who seem to be in trouble
  3. Use barrier-free (accessible) facilities with care

These small actions are the beginning of creating a kind society for everyone.

🔍 Barrier-Free (Accessible) Explorer Team

Now, let’s explore barrier-free (accessible) designs around you!

Try observing what kind of barrier-free (accessible) facilities are in your school or public places. What kind of toilet doors do they have? Inward-opening, outward-opening, or sliding? Are there elevators? Are there tactile paving blocks for visually impaired people?

It’s also interesting to think about who these barrier-free (accessible) facilities are for and what considerations have been made.

Your “awareness” might be the first step to creating a kinder society. Let’s start exploring!

Important Note

Finally, I have an important request for all of you.

This article is based on experiences and ideas from Japan. Approaches and ideas about barrier-free (accessible) design might differ depending on the country and culture. Please discuss with your family or teachers about how things are in your country. Let’s think about a world where everyone can live comfortably while respecting our differences. This article is not meant to impose Japanese ideas on you. Also, always prioritize safety and act with trusted adults. Please keep this in mind.

Also, this article simplifies explanations with the main goal of getting you interested in barrier-free (accessible) design rather than being strictly accurate. For accurate information, please check the websites of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan) or relevant agencies in your country.

For inquiries → https://lahainars.com/contact/

Note: I’m not very good at English, so please send inquiries in simple and short English.

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