Facilities for disabled not to standard

99% toilet facilities or management cannot meet the requirement of the disabilities law, among them including washrooms managed by the HousingAuthority, found by the Federation of Rehabilitation.

Among the 82 public toilets surveyed by the federation, only onecompletely meet the standard set by law, others are either being changed ofits functions or fail to meet the need of the disabled because of its designs.

The federation tried to survey 119 public toilets being situated inhousing estates, malls and hospitals all over Hong Kong. It was found that noteveryone included one suitable for disabled. Among the 82 which they can enter,only one meet the standard set by law in 1984.

Chairman of the federation Cheung Kin Fai commented, there was a lack ofimplementation and monitoring of the public toilets, thus deprived the basicrights of the disabled. Apart from problems arising from the design, noclear indicator or guidance of its location is another serious problem. Allthese cause inconvenience to the disabled and deter their integration to thesociety.

June 1998