Extending architectural affordance: the case of the publicly accessible toilet

Publicly accessible toilets present a site of entrenched cultures of tolerance and intolerance that centre on our relationship with our bodies, and those of others with whom we share the space. This research uses the case of the publicly accessible toilet to demonstrate how the design of these facilities has continued to present a ‘special needs’ approach, opposed to inclusive design. Analysis of design guidance and user experiences of both the standard and accessible toilet accommodation highlights how current design and provision of these essential facilities contribute to ‘environmental pressure’ (Lawton, 1986). Thus current design continues to create barriers in the built environment that prevent wider access to the city and engagement with education, work and leisure opportunities it affords. The thesis incorporates a reanalysis of secondary data from 166 able and disabled informants, which focuses on their experience of accessing and using publicly accessible toilets. It considers these experiences through the concept of affordance and makes the case for a shift from the built environment determining behaviour, to one in which the body affords experience of the environment