Inclusive Public Toilets: A Universal Design Enquiry for Indian Context

Public toilets fulfil an essential need for all human beings. In the context of India, the diversity of population implies a diverse set of complex barriers in the public toilet experience. Inclusion and the contextual translation of universal design becomes crucial, considering the distinct socio-cultural dimensions. This study intends to enquire the above-mentioned perspective and contribute towards an understanding of inclusion and universal design in public toilets. The methodology is a three-part process including literature review, experiential case reflections and ethnographic field perspectives. The gathered data is mapped thematically and assessed qualitatively, based on the existing principles of universal design. The insights from the assessment highlight the need for contextualization of existing universal design principles, bringing out a multi-dimensional complexity of inclusion across human needs, behaviour, physical, planning and service aspects. This study paves a way forward for evolving design directions by raising further questions through fresh perspectives on inclusion & accessibility in public toilets. The raised questions contribute to a dilemma of standardisation versus contextual customisation around the understanding of inclusion and universal design, focusing on the scenario of Indian public toilets.