Disabled Toilets

Disabled Toilet Pans for Accessible Washrooms

A disabled toilet pan, also referred to as an accessible toilet or accessible WC, is a raised height toilet designed for people with reduced mobility. The defining characteristic is seat height. A standard toilet pan sits at around 400mm from the finished floor to the top of the seat. A disabled toilet pan sits at 480mm to 500mm. That extra 80mm to 100mm makes a genuine practical difference for wheelchair users, elderly people and anyone with arthritis or limited lower body strength who struggles to lower onto and rise from a standard seat.

The pans on this page are sold individually. They are the right choice when replacing an existing pan, upgrading the WC within an already compliant washroom, or specifying products individually for a bespoke accessible installation. If you are fitting out a new accessible washroom from scratch, our Doc M packs supply the toilet, basin, tap and grab rails together in a single order.

Wheelchair Accessible Toilets and Ambulant Toilets

There are two distinct types of accessible toilet and they are not interchangeable. The type you need determines the pan specification, room dimensions and grab rail arrangement.

A wheelchair accessible toilet is designed for people who transfer sideways from a wheelchair onto the seat. The room must be at least 2200mm x 1500mm with a clear transfer space of at least 700mm to one side of the pan. The pan itself must project at least 750mm from the back wall to the front of the toilet, so a wheelchair can be positioned alongside the front of the pan at the correct angle for transfer. Standard toilet pans project 600mm to 680mm, which is not sufficient for this purpose.

An ambulant toilet is for disabled people who can walk but need support when sitting and standing. It uses grab rails fixed to the walls on both sides of the pan within a cubicle that is smaller than a wheelchair accessible toilet. The same raised height pan applies, but the room and rail configuration are different. Both types are required in many buildings. Approved Document M specifies where each must be provided depending on building type and size.

Pan Configurations: Close Coupled, Wall Hung and Back to Wall

Disabled toilet pans are available in three main configurations. Close coupled pans have the cistern sitting directly on the back of the pan, which makes them straightforward to install and service and suits most refurbishment projects where no duct or frame system is in place. Wall hung pans are mounted on a concealed support frame with the cistern hidden within the wall construction, leaving the floor beneath the pan completely clear. This makes floor cleaning easier and is often specified in healthcare and high specification commercial washrooms. Back to wall pans sit flush against a duct panel or IPS system that conceals the pipework and cistern behind, giving a cleaner finish than a close coupled pan without requiring a full cavity wall installation.

The right configuration depends on the construction of your washroom, whether it is a new build or refurbishment, and what is specified in the accessible washroom design. An accessible wash basin will also need to be specified alongside the pan to complete a compliant accessible toilet installation.

Specifying the Right Disabled Toilet Pan

Seat height is the first thing to confirm. The pan should sit at 480mm to 500mm from the finished floor to the top of the seat, not the rim. Some manufacturers quote rim height rather than seat height, so check which figure is given in the product specification before ordering.

Projection matters for wheelchair accessible applications. The pan must project at least 750mm from the finished wall surface to the front of the toilet so a wheelchair can pull alongside correctly. Standard pans fall short of this at 600mm to 680mm, so always verify the projection figure if the installation is wheelchair accessible.

Seat fixing is worth checking too. A disabled toilet seat takes considerable lateral stress during wheelchair transfer and must be fixed with metal fittings from above into the rim of the pan rather than from below. Confirm the pan you are ordering accommodates this type of fixing before purchasing.

If the installation also requires grab rails, a basin, tap or alarm pull cord, our full range of accessible washroom products covers everything needed to complete the room.