World-class facilities enable health & wellbeing

People in the West Midlands wanting to improve their health and fitness can benefit from new, state-of-the-art facilities that deliver optimum accessibility in all aspects.

University of Birmingham’s £55m sports club, Sport & Fitness, has, from the outset, been developed as a world-class venue for everyone, inlcuding students, staff, alumni, and the community, from elite athletes to people with disabilities, injuries or other specific access requirements.

“Substantial effort has been made to ensure all facilities are as accessible as possible,” explained Simon Walton Project Manager for Interserve Construction, builder of University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness. “The swimming pool has a hoist and moveable steps, the gym includes 25 pieces of inclusive equipment, even the toilet facilities should accommodate most people’s requirements!”

University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness therefore features two, fully-accessible hygiene rooms, each giving plenty of space for a wheelchair user and up to two carers, and equipped, by Clos-o-Mat on behalf of Interserve, with a Palma Vita wash & dry toilet, ceiling track hoist and adult-sized height adjustable changing bench. One is on the ground floor in the swimming pool changing area, the other on the second floor, which can be reached by lift, near to the gym.

Adds Kelvin Grimes, Clos-o-Mat’s ‘away from home toilet’ project manager, “About 1million people in the West Midlands have an activity limiting problem or disability(1). Without an adult-sized changing bench, hoist, wash & dry toilet, thousands of people in the region who need that extra equipment couldn’t spend any length of time away from home, in case they needed toilet facilities.”

The changing benches and hoists mean users who have continence issues can be safely and appropriately cleaned and changed whilst atSport & Fitness. For users who are more capable in addressing their own toilet needs, the Clos-o-Mat Palma Vita in effect combines a toilet, bidet and drier in one, so there is no need for manual cleansing (by user or carer) with toilet tissue. It therefore enhances user hygiene, independence and dignity.

Clos-o-Mat has over 50 years’ experience in delivering personal hygiene solutions, for domestic, commercial and public environments. The company has developed a range of equipment and support services that today meets every need, from a toilet adaptation in a flat or house through to an assisted accessible toilet facility away from home (sometimes known as a Changing Places or Space to Change toilet).

Uniquely, the products are backed up by in-house support, from assessment of requirements, design of an accessible bathroom or washroom to legislative and budgetary requirements, installation and commissioning of equipment, and lifetime maintenance.