A/HRC/42/47/Add.1 46. When the Special Rapporteur travelled towards the highlands, particularly in the districts of Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong, he could see the standard ventilated improved pit latrines next to each traditional Basotho-style hut. That is a great achievement of the country’s policy for sanitation since the latrines are widely disseminated and some are well designed and constructed. However, next to each latrine, the Special Rapporteur did not see any hand-washing facilities. According to the WHO/UNICEF joint monitoring programme, only 2 per cent of Basotho have access to basic hand-washing facilities. Limited availability of hygiene products and facilities was also observed when the Special Rapporteur visited both the male and female Lesotho correctional services. The provision of soap was limited owing to budgetary constraints and inmates relied on their families and charity organizations to provide soap and other hygienic products. It was also the same for educational facilities, particularly schools in rural areas, where students testified that even with access to water and toilets, they often did not have soap for hand-washing. B. Accessibility 47. Water and sanitation facilities and services must be physically accessible for everyone within or in the immediate vicinity of all spheres of their lives, particularly at home, but also in educational institutions, health facilities, the workplace, prisons and public places. 1. Leaving no one behind 48. The Special Rapporteur would like to emphasize that there are still many Basotho who are left behind in terms of access to water and sanitation. Persons with physical disabilities and older persons, even if there is a water source nearby, are not able to walk the distance, particularly in the steep rocky paths in the highlands, to fetch water and carry it in heavy buckets. Furthermore, they may not be able to operate facilities such as hand pumps to draw water, given their physical limitations. In several villages the Special Rapporteur visited, he saw elderly people who had difficulty in moving, some of whom were either nearly blind or deaf. While some older persons can tap into their pension to hire and pay someone to collect water for them, orphans and those living in poverty have limited economic means to access water and sanitation. 49. While the Special Rapporteur saw ventilated improved pit latrines constructed of bricks, metal or stone throughout his travels in Lesotho, he did not come across any such latrines designed for persons with disabilities, which require specific designs and specifications. About 2.6 per cent of the Basotho population was reported as having one form of disability, with the most prevalent type being partial blindness followed by other disabilities such as a paralysed limb, or amputation of a foot or leg. 50. Another category of people that are left behind is gender non-conforming persons. In general, the impression of the Special Rapporteur was that Basotho society viewed a variance in sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as a non-existent issue and perhaps against Basotho culture. He would like to stress that people who are nonconforming in terms of sexual orientation and gender are entitled to the same rights as any other Basotho, particularly in access to water and sanitation services. In particular, transgender persons should be treated with the same respect as others and targeted measures should be taken to ensure their dignity and privacy and choice of the use of public toilets, without the risk of being mocked or harassed, let alone assaulted. The Special Rapporteur believes that the issue of gender should be on the discussion table and respectfully suggests that Lesotho start a discussion on the access of gender non-conforming people to toilets in schools, workplaces and public spaces. 2. Public space 51. During his trips to the highlands and the south, the Special Rapporteur passed through several business centres of towns, where he saw numerous street vendors with makeshift shacks. He also saw many informal vendors who were selling fruits in plastic bags on the road. From interviews with the vendors, the Special Rapporteur learned that 11