A new type of public restroom made its appearance on the streets of Beijing's Dongcheng District last year, and starting this year they will be seen all over the city. These special WCs are designed for the handicapped, with facilities that make it easier for the disabled to help themselves and space for others to help them when required. Because those providing the help are not necessarily of the same sex as the handicapped user, all the facilities are unisex.

Going a step beyond merely providing the facilities, Beijing's special restrooms also have staff on duty at all times to provide assistance.

Location: No. 57 Imperial College Road, Dongcheng District

Scene: A cubicle with double metal doors stands between the usual women's and men's WCs, directly opposite the entrance to the facility. An illustration of a wheelchair at the top left of the door marks it as a unisex lavatory for the handicapped. To the right is a bright yellow sign, warning "Be careful, it's slippery!" Mrs. Yang, the attendant here, says the door is kept open to make it easier for wheelchairs to get in and out.

Spotlight: The spacious two-square-meter cubicle has light-red ceramic tiles on the floor, and two metal handrails are attached to each wall at different heights. A full square meter of open space in front of the toilet gives plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair, and the washbasin to the right is placed at a convenient height. The mirror above it is polished and sparkling. Soap and a coat hook are also within easy reach. Mrs. Yang reports that at least 10 people make use of the facility every hour.

The sweeping and mopping never stops in this place. Mrs. Yang says their regulations require that they clean the lavatory after every use. She can no longer remember how many times she has cleaned it.

Mrs. Ding is in charge of the unisex restroom at No. 22 Yonghegong Street. She is constantly rinsing out rags and her mop, cleaning the floor and wiping down the basin and mirror even when it seems that no one will notice. Mrs. Ding is proud of what she does, saying that many of the elderly folks who reside in the area visit her workplace every morning and evening.

Still, not everything is perfect. One long-time resident of Imperial College Road says that she just cannot feel at ease with the thought of men and women using the same cubicle. To make it worse, the lock doesn't work: the pin has been installed, but there is no hole to slide it into. But the attendants shrug it off, saying the problem will be resolved as soon as possible. Besides, they are always on duty to stand guard.

The attendants are really one of the special features of the unisex WCs. Their job is not only to keep the place clean, but also to provide assistance to anyone who needs it. Just like nurses, they feel no embarrassment over helping an elderly or disabled person who can't manage alone. In fact, now all 155 of Beijing's WCs that are classified Grade Two or above have professional cleaners on duty at all times, both male and female. Buttons linked to special lights have been placed within easy reach so that users may summon an attendant if necessary.

As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. The needs of the handicapped and elderly led to innovation in public restrooms in Beijing. In the past, some disabled people for whom regular public facilities were inaccessible carried a plastic bucket on their wheelchair and used that in some out-of-the-way corner. Thus, the Dongcheng District took the lead in building its seven special facilities.

The unisex lavatories for the handicapped cost 4,500 to 5,000 yuan per square meter to construct, so that more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,416) is spent on each one. This year, 400 of the newly built public WCs will contain facilities for the handicapped.

"It is undoubtedly good indeed for the disabled. This is a step forward, providing facilities that help the handicapped lead a better life, without barriers," says an official from the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF). However, he notes, there are aspects of the daily administration of the restrooms that need to be perfected. He reports that there are now 60 million handicapped people in China, 8.77 million of whom have difficulty walking or cannot walk at all. Beijing alone is home to 400,000 handicapped people. There are clearly many people who have need of the specially designed restrooms.

(China.org.cn by Wang Ruyue March 31, 2004)