4.1 What is an inclusive WASH facility?
From Study Session 1, you know that inclusive WASH facilities are safe, accessible and usable by everyone in the community.
Who are the members of the community?
Communities are made up of people of all ages and types, including persons with disabilities of many different kinds, elderly and frail people, children (who may also have a disability), pregnant women, injured people and people living with long-term illnesses including HIV/AIDS.
Any community is made up of people with different needs, and inclusive facilities are expected to address these needs. Thinking about what the different needs are and how they can be met is part of the process of making WASH facilities inclusive.
If a public water point has a ramp, does that make it inclusive?
No. A ramp is not the only feature of an inclusive water facility. A ramp would help wheelchair users and people who have difficulty with steps but this is not enough on its own. The facility would also need an even path leading to it, taps installed at different heights including some that could be reached from a sitting position, and possibly other features to make it usable by everyone in the community.
The practical requirements of appropriate and inclusive WASH facilities vary with the situation. For individual households, it is the needs of the family members that are important but for public facilities the needs of the whole community should be considered. The next two sections look at each of these in turn.
Learning Outcomes for Study Session 4