Blue RADAR key

Blue RADAR National Key Scheme (NKS) key giving access to accessible toilets, from Disability Rights UK, made by Nicholls and Clarke

Over 9,000 accessible toilets in the UK can be unlocked using this key. It means that rather than needing to look for a member of staff to unlock the accessible toilet, disabled people can do it themselves. Accessible toilets are often locked so that they are not misused. The first RADAR lock was installed in 1981 by the Royal Association of Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR). Now accessible toilets with RADAR locks can be found everywhere from train stations to pubs.

The RADAR key is much larger than a regular key and has a heart shaped fob. These both make the key more distinctive and are designed to make it easier and more ergonomic for disabled people to use. There are thought to be more than one million RADAR keys in use.