Handle to operate foot pedal bins
In a teaching lab, features were included to make the environment more accessible.
This included height adjustable benches and sinks for wheelchair users. However, other aspects of accessibility left room for improvement. For example, all the university鈥檚 standard bins were operated by foot pedals. A wheelchair user would be unable to operate the bin to dispose of waste for themselves, relying on others to open the bin for them and impeding their ability to be independent in the lab.
To overcome this, the lab workshop added handles to the bin lids to enable them to be opened by hand. This meant that a student using a wheelchair could now independently dispose of waste in lab bins.
This change benefits all lab wheelchair users. The student felt more independent in their work as they didn't have to ask peers to open the bins or to dispose of waste for them.