I have noted comments in this discussion and am replying as a mother of 3
breast feed babies and an access consultant.
A visit to feed and change a baby is generally a combined operation therefore
it is generally impractical to have a seperate toliet and feeding area. In fact
a toilet visit for mum is also part of the sequence of operations. This would
indicate a well maintained and suitable sized adult toilet with changing
station and chair to sit and feed is what is required. This should be open as a
'parents room' to make it as flexible as possible.
In large shopping centres with a large turnover of people this facility should
be seperate from the accessible wc. However in a small library etc where there
is lower use it would be logical that a seperate breast feeding area may be
difficult to accommodate where space is tight.
The other important point is that some women who breast feed wish a private
area, and if is not formally provided then it will be improvisied in the form
of less hygienic practices i.e. sitting on the loo or floor of a toilet.
I hope these commments assist.
Regards,
Dorothy
Anthony Rylands (31/01/2007 10:58):
>Sue,
>
>The Women's Design Service may have some of the info you are after. They
>do a various publications which might help:
>- Shoppers' Creches - Guidlines for Childcare Facilities in Public
>Places;
>- At Women's Convenience
>- Accessible Offices
>
>You can find them at: http://www.wds.org.uk
>
>Anthony Rylands
>Access Officer for Disabled People
>North Somerset Council
>Tel: 01934 634989
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>Please consider the environment. Do you really need to print this email?
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Accessibuilt list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>Of Alyson Matthews
>Sent: 31 January 2007 10:36
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Accessible toilets and breastfeeding
>
>I carried out an access audit of a local facility this week - the
>accessible toilet had a shelf for baby changing (not a proper changing
>facility, and nothing to stop the baby falling off), and was signed as
>being for baby feeding, but there was nowhere to sit other than on the
>toilet!
>
>----------End of Message----------
>Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the
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>visit:
>http://www.surface.salford.ac.uk
>Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
>
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