Which venues need accessible washroom products?

When non-disabled people think about accessible bathrooms, they typically think about two types of venue: public toilets, and medicalised settings such as hospitals and care homes. For plumbing wholesalers, this can seem like a fairly small market segment and opportunity.  But when you consider that more than 17% of people in the UK have a disability – and that every new public building is required by law to have accessible toilet facilities – it’s clear that hospitals and care homes are just the tip of the iceberg. So what types of venues could you be selling Doc M pack and individual grab rails into – and what are those venues typically looking for in their accessible products?  Here’s a quick guide to some of the venues and options you might not have considered…

Hospitality

The hospitality sector is a significant consumer of Doc M packs and accessories – and it’s a broad market with lots of different requirements, and opportunities for wholesalers. Any new development in the hospitality industry – whether it’s a new branch of your favourite coffee shop or a high-end hotel – must incorporate accessible toilet and/or washroom facilities for users.  Depending on size, they may even be required to install a high specification Changing Places toilet. Existing buildings are not compelled by law to offer accessible toilets, but in the hospitality industry in particular there’s a big onus on businesses to do as much as they can to comply with the terms of the Equality Act 2010 by removing physical barriers to use.  Therefore, there’s an opportunity for wholesalers to supply into virtually every type of hospitality venue – cafes, pubs, restaurants, wine bars & bistros, nightclubs, fast food outlets, B&Bs, hotels and many more. It’s worth remembering that accessible provision isn’t just for patrons, but also for staff – so even venues that don’t offer sit-in hospitality services will have a requirement for Doc M provision. As for the types of Doc M product you can supply, the sky’s the limit.  New build or renovation projects will likely require a complete Doc M pack solution including sanitaryware and grab rails.  Venues looking to upgrade their accessible toilets may only require grab rails – and they may be looking for something with a little more panache than the typical white, powder-coated rail.  Our NymaCARE and NymaSTYLE ranges include stainless steel plus a variety of style-conscious RAL finishes that can really help to elevate these spaces, and are available as packs or individually for a versatile solution.

Fitness and Leisure

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the UK fitness industry has exploded over the past 10 years.  According to a 2022/3 report by UK gym chain PureGym, 14% of people in the UK are gym members.  Another study by the Inclusive Fitness Initiative identified that there are more than 7,200 health and fitness clubs in the UK – but that only 68 of these were accessible to disabled users. Toilets, changing rooms, showers, spa and poolside facilities – the need for Doc M within fitness and leisure facilities is significant, and currently underserved, which means there are big opportunities for proactive contractors and wholesalers to sell products into these spaces. As with hospitality, demand from leisure businesses may well go beyond the provision of a basic grab rail to meet compliance – in a competitive marketplace, many gyms and leisure clubs are striving to offer a more premium experience, with stylish interior aesthetics throughout their facilities.  As a result, offering distinctive products such as our NymaSTYLE range can help you to win new business.  

Retail

Compared to the hospitality or leisure sectors, retail is definitely a smaller opportunity – but things are beginning to change, and given the chain-orientated nature of today’s high street, that means there’s a lot of potential business currently sitting untapped. After many years of lobbying for increased awareness and equality around disabled rights, the work of activists is at last beginning to bear fruit, with businesses and venues outside of the service industry starting to consider their responsibilities in terms of access. Retail is one of those industries.  Of course, accessible washrooms are to be found in shopping centres up and down the country – but few individual stores offer toilet facilities for customers, and fully accessible changing spaces are few and far between.  The former may not change – but advancing equality means the need for accessible facilities for retail workers is only set to grow. As for the latter, our Fitzroy of London brand recently worked with none other than Gucci on improving the accessibility of their Bond Street store to include accessible changing rooms for patrons.  Gucci is the first and only high fashion retailer to participate in the annual Disability Equality Index – and where the catwalk leads, it’s inevitable that the high street will follow. Of course, when it comes to fashion, not just any accessory will do – and from haute couture to fast fashion, NYMAS Group offers a grab rail specification to suit.  As a NYMAS Group stockist, you’ll have access to more than two decades of Doc M expertise as well as a comprehensive range of Doc M packs and individual accessories to meet the needs of virtually any customer and venue.   Our new product guide exists to help you understand our unique brand ecosystem, and quickly identify the best product for any project, adding value for your customer and helping you to build both your reputation and your sales revenues.   Download your copy of our product guide, or get in touch to enquire about setting up a trade account.