Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as that. There is no specific mention of hand dryers anywhere in any DDA legislation or guidelines, but there are certain advisory notices which may impact either your choice of purchase or (much more likely) where you place them. Whether you have separate washroom facilities for the disabled or whether you need to make sure that your standard facilities are suitable, we recommend that you consider 3 areas:
Contrast and brightness of the hand dryer
For visually impaired people, it is useful if the dryer is not the same colour as the wall on which it is placed, (for example a white dryer on a white wall is not a good idea). And although polished chrome is a popular choice for a hand dryer finish, highly reflective surfaces can be confusing and disorientating for some people.
Height / position of the hand dryer
Most hand dryer manufacturers state recommended mounting heights for male, female and disabled washrooms, so these should obviously be followed. But you should also consider that wheelchair users may need to use a hand dryer from alongside the unit rather than in front of it: what this means is that you should make sure the hand dryer can be approached from either side rather than just directly in front of it. Because space in washrooms is usually a limiting factor, this can be quite challenging and is something which should be considered as early as possible in the building design process.
Obstruction – protrusion (ADA)
Although not explicitly mentioned in the DDA, in the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) it specifies that in the corridor of a washroom, there should be no protrusion from the wall greater than 4 inches (100mm).
There are some (but not many) dryers available in the UK which protrude 100mm from the wall (the Dyson AB08, the Airdri Elite and the Airdri Quazar - all of which you can find on our hand dryer page), but there are also other ways to make sure this is taken into consideration. One is that the hand dryers can be recessed into the wall (there are recessing kits available for some dryers). The other is that depending on the shape and size of the washroom, the hand dryers can be situated in areas which are not subject to through-traffic, such as at the end of the room.
So, generally speaking, it is the design of the washroom rather than the actual dryers which will help you conform to the DDA principles, but if you are in any doubt as to the suitability of a dryer, please call one of our experts for a chat on 01934 253600.