On 2nd October 2025, global professional hygiene solutions provider, Tork, an Essity brand, will bring together experts from across Europe to explore the challenges faced in public washrooms by people at different life stages or with physical or cognitive conditions. Taking place at the Waterloo Apex Hotel in Edinburgh prior to the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards on 2nd October, the roundtable will facilitate discussion with interest groups, public policy, academia and charities on three topics:
➢ Why is advancing inclusive hygiene in washrooms important?
➢ What are the key barriers to inclusive hygiene, who faces challenges?
➢ What thinking and future solutions can enable inclusive hygiene in washrooms?
The roundtable follows a global Tork Insight Survey which highlights significant unmet needs in washroom design and maintenance, with one in two individuals globally encountering hygiene barriers due to a disconnect between their capabilities and the washroom environment. 33% of those with physical or cognitive conditions have sensitive skin, 29% experience anxiety, and 22% have rheumatism. Such sensory or cognitive sensitivities, or conditions such as paruresis (shy bladder) often lead to individuals avoiding washrooms or being unable to fully address their hygiene needs. In the UK, 17% of people with physical conditions suffer from skin sensitivities like eczema, which can be exacerbated by harsh soaps, while 12% face challenges from arthritis or chronic pain, making tasks such as using toilet paper or soap dispensers difficult.
Roundtable participants on 2nd October will offer perspectives and expertise related to public washrooms and consumers in different countries, exploring solutions to making public washrooms welcoming and accessible for all. Participants include:
Some of the participants attending include:
• Gail Ramster, Senior Research Associate at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art, whose work focuses on people-centred, co-design approaches in service, urban and public toilet design.
• Jules Storr, CEO and co-founder of S3 Global Healthcare and former president of the Infection Prevention Society, brings expertise in infection prevention and control, patient safety, and quality healthcare.
• Becky Wall, Managing Director of the Loo of the Year Awards and co-founder of A Plush Flush, advocates for dignified, high-quality washroom experiences, drawing on her background in sales and events management.
• Corinna Elling-Audersch, Vice President of the German Rheumatism League, combines her lived experience of rheumatic disease with over 30 years of advocacy for inclusive healthcare.
• Lastly, another key participant attending is Paralympic swimmer Kamil Otowski, a two-time gold medallist at Paris 2024, adds his perspective as someone living with neuropathy (CMT2), a progressive condition causing quadriplegia and muscle atrophy who navigates life with a specialised wheelchair.
The roundtable is part of Tork’s “Talking Voices” campaign, an awareness-raising series designed to bring the voices of experts, opinion-leaders and members of the general public, to the forefront of the conversation about hygiene in public spaces, businesses and the workplace. Talking Voices is part of a wider programme by Tork that will evolve in 2026 to focus on the importance of inclusive hygiene from business and employee wellbeing perspectives. To learn more about how inclusive hygiene can improve your business please visit: https://www.torkglobal.com/gb/en/about/inclusive-hygiene
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