Steve Faulkner’s inspiring toilet.

Steve says “Utility and adaptability is what inspires me in a toilet. Having a set of scales nearby is a must, for a quick BMI update after getting a load off.”

Steve works The Paciello Group and is the guy I turn to for all kinds of information about accessibility, WAI ARIA and screenreaders. As you’d expect, Steve’s toilet has assistive technology for his children, in the form of a child loo-seat and some steps. Note that he doesn’t have a separate-but-equal toilet for the kids; he’s making reasonable adjustments to the one toilet to accommodate all.

But while the scales and kid seat are obviously shop bought (the scales were £45 from IKEA while the seat was £15 from Argos) the steps are natural wood. Steve told us “As you know, I’m an Australian. When I was at home in Goondiwindi, me and my friends Duane, Wayne and Shane and their wives Charlene, Marlene, Darlene would go Walkabout. One year, in a gigantic sandstorm just south of Naughty Kookaburra in Murwillumbah County, we were forced to take refuge in a hollow log. I kept some of the wood as a souvenir and carved these toilet steps.

“I also had enough wood to fashion my own Didgeridoo, which I play every morning  in an ancient calming ritual called the Hixibegon, before I read the HTML5 mailing lists. But I don’t keep it in the loo, cause that would be disgusting.”