View source for Accessible - Handrails and Support

{|
|style="vertical-align:top"|[[Image:handrails1.png|thumb|left|260px|Wooden/ bamboo support rails fixed to floor in front of toilet]]

|style="vertical-align:top"|[[Image:handrails2.png|thumb|left|260px|Wooden/ bamboo support rails fixed to floor on either side of toilet]]

|style="vertical-align:top"|[[Image:handrails3.png|thumb|left|260px|Metal bars (e.g. galvanised iron pipe) fixed to side wall/s of latrine]]
|}

{| style="border: 2px solid #DB87C9;"
|<font size="3">'''Suitable for:'''  People who are unstable or unable to walk, squat or stand unaided.</font>
|}


{|border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7"
|width="20%"|'''Construction'''
|width="20%"|'''Advantages '''
|width="20%"|'''Disadvantages'''
|width="20%"|'''Improvements / variations'''
|width="20%"|'''Cost / labour'''
|-
|style="background-color: #EDEDED;"|'''Bricks protruding from wall for support to a weak or visually impaired person'''<br>
[[Image:handrails4.png|150px]]
|
* Easy to construct
* Materials locally available
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* Walls must be strong enough to support user’s weight
* Difficult to add after construction
* Regular maintenance needed to ensure stability
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* Half bricks in the wall can also provide mini-ledges for a user to hold on to
|Low
|-
|style="background-color: #EDEDED;"|'''Wooden/ bamboo support rails fixed to floor either in front or on either side of toilet (depending on user’s needs)'''
|
* Materials locally available
* Easy to construct and maintain
* Allows user to transfer to the toilet from the side
* Position and height of rails must involve user and an assessment of their need
|
* Rails must be strong enough to bear users’ weight
* Not possible to fix to a concrete floor/slab
* Might be difficult to keep clean
* Cannot fix to a concrete floor/slab
|
* Varnish/paint rail to stop termite damage and for easy cleaning
* For a growing child use longer vertical poles, so bar height is adjustable.
* Horizontal bars at different heights might suit some.
* For concrete floors, pipe rails can be cemented in during construction, or screwed to floor later.
|Low
|-
|style="background-color: #EDEDED;"|'''Metal bars (e.g. galvanised iron pipe) fixed to side wall/s of latrine'''
|
* Highly durable
* Can be added to existing facility
* Easy to clean
* Bars to be positioned based on user needs
|
* Walls must be strong enough to fix bars to
* Walls must be close enough for user to reach the bars
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* Paint bars to reduce corrosion and increase durability
* Several bars at different heights on each side might better suit some users
|Medium to high
|}


===Acknowledgements===
*  Content and images: [http://www.wateraid.org/what-we-do/our-approach/research-and-publications/view-publication?id=aff6d098-00f2-42e5-b9a0-22ec2b264a5e Compendium of accessible WASH technologies]  WaterAid and WEDC.
[[Image:WaterAid logo.png|none|100px|link=http://www.wateraid.org/us]]
[[Image:WEDC logo.png|none|100px|link=http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/index.html]]