Making latrines user friendly for everyone : an exploratory research study on the discomfort faced by pregnant women, elderly, overweight, sick and disabled people when using squat latrines

In order to realize the maximum potential health impacts of improved sanitation it is vital that all members of a community use a hygienic latrine. Even if only one person continues to practice open defecation the health of the entire community is jeopardized. The question then arises, 'why do some people who have latrines not use them?’
This study has raised awareness within NEWAH on disability issues. It explores the problems experienced by pregnant women, elderly, overweight, sick and disabled people when using NEWAH supported latrines. This particular group of users experiences physical discomfort when using these latrines. Some respondents even report psychological stress when using them.
Latrines are often designed by male engineers, who do not have to use the latrines and thus are not sensitive to the particular needs of this target group. After consultation with the users concerned, four low-cost options have been designed to make using a latrine more comfortable, based on suggestions by the users themselves. These options include two types of commode to take the user’s weight while using the latrine and two types of handles or bars for the users to support themselves when moving in and out of the squatting position. These improvements will be piloted and evaluated in the coming year and the findings will be shared with other sectoral organisations.