.. to use the disabled loo when out with DD

[Gster]

I'd bet this has been covered many times, but I'm fairly new.

When I'm out with DD ( 2.5 years ) somewhere like a museum and she needs a pee-pee ( or me ) , I use the disabled loo. I obviously wouldn't venture into the ladies being a bloke, and more often than not the gents are pretty grim.

What do other dads do ?

Or general opinion.

"Non disableds can go anywhere and have many many choices."

Not in my local hospital they can't!

But we've been through all this before...

It's to do with need surely. I have a disability but it doesn't make me need the toilet quickly and I'm not in a wheelchair so I don't use the disabled toilets. Although when I have been in facilities which have the bars and everything it's fantastic as I can stand and sit more easily But that's not the point. The point is that not all disabled people need to use these toilets, and some non disabled people suffer from urgency.

So it's not as simple as some on this thread would assert.

Sardine

If you need the bars to make standing and sitting more comfy as like you said you have disablity be it obvious or not then I could not see a problem with you using the disabled toilet at all .

And yes i agree that people with hidden disablites sometimes need to use them .Ds2 does not look disabled a sin physically but has crohns and when he needs to go he needs now and he tends to need the disabled as means he has faclites for cleaning himself up if he needs to .Which he can not do in a normal toilet .Oh an dI have to use disabled toilet as chair users as is ds3

I prefer to give benfit of doubt .Mind it does tend to be obvious if someone used that really did not need if they come out and am waiting fair few get really embarssed and I just hope it makes them think next time .

Personally I do wish that they did not ahve baby change in and was seperate baby change available ( before I get flamed not that heartless {grin].does mean that more than one person can be changing nappies at a time
Becuase as bad as it is waiting for one person .It is far worse when there are 2 or more people waiting to use to change their babys in the disabled toilet which houses the baby change to let alone the nappy bins make it hard to transfer from chair to toilet

First, OP, YANBU. Children and families are not second class citizens, any more than people with disabilities. There needs to be a degree of give and take between all groups in society.

I think it is also worth repeating the point squeakytoy made regarding the law on accessible loos as there does seem to be some misunderstanding about their purpose. Under current law (whether you agree or disagree with it - that's a whole other argument) there is no requirement to provide loos for people with disabilities generally.

The Building Code 2004 Part M requires that buildings provide wheelchair accessible toilets:

PROVISION OF TOILET ACCOMMODATION.

o A wheelchair accessible unisex type where only one toilet is provided in a building. Size enlarged to 2.0 x 2.2m ? layout in accordance with Diagram 18 / 19 / 20 A.D.M.
o At least one wheelchair accessible unisex toilet at each location where sanitary facilities are provided.
o In separate sex toilet accommodation at least one ambulant disabled persons w.c. cubicle layout in accordance with Diagram 21 is provided and where there are 4 or more cubicles an enlarged cubicle (1.2m wide) is to be provided.

I take your point about urgency, SardineQueen. I've already said that I suffer IBS which can make the need for a loo a matter of utmost urgency - a 'Now or I will crap myself' issue. Under those circumstances, I would feel justified in using the disabled loo IF there wasn't a cubicle free at the ladies, and I knew I wouldn't be able to wait for one to come free. I hope that someone with this level of urgency, or with some other temporary condition that made using the disabled loo their only choice at the time, would be able to use the disabled loo without upsetting disabled users and their carers - maybe Riveninside will comment.

As you say, the issue is with need. If you have a genuine need, and have no choice but to use the disabled loos, this should be acceptable. The problem is when people who do have other choices use the disabled loos.

staying

See my above post IBs etc I would class as a need ds2 has crohns and yes I am a wheelchair user as is ds3

Thankyou THC.

I woild class that as a disability SDTG. You have a medical need.
The reason a wheelchair user might give you a look is because of the years of abuse over toilets/bays/spaces on buses from people who have no need to use those facilities. If abuse never happenend then the assumption would be you had a 'need'.
Sadly due to others selfishness people will be suspicious. I wish it wasnt like that.
I was in tesco earlier and waited in mywheelchair for a ridicuously long time this morning. I assumed someone with difficulties was in there. Out breezed a woman who said 'oh sorry, i was drying my t shirt with the hand dryer'.
I just rolled my eyes and thought of this thread.

So if 'the' issue is someone wetting themselves....would we all prefer the OPs small dd to be exposed to piss and shit all over a toilet seat, certainly urine on the floor and exposed to a range of adult penises or that she wet herself just in case someone else wants to use an accessible toilet? Given the sort of germs to be picked up from excrement and urine why would anyone think that's okay?

Using a disabled toilet should only ever be a last resort and for me the OPs situation is a last resort.

excuse me, I have to say this after the 4th poster did it !

ITS QUEUE, NOT CUE !