Using disabled toilet with IBS

[ToiletUser]

Hi all. I have a feeling I may get flamed for this, but wanted some opinions as I honestly don't know if I am being unreasonable. Have NC as this post contains some embarrassing information!

I have irritable bowel syndrome, which I realise is a fairly common complaint and by no means a disability, but which does mean I often need to use toilets which have a sink in the cubicle. In my building, this means using the disabled toilet.

The other day, said disabled toilet was flooded and subsequently unavailable for several days, during which time I had (tmi warning) a rather explosive bout of IBS and could only use the normal cubicle toilets. It was humiliating and horrible. I had to keep exiting the cubicle to wet pieces of loo paper and I felt disgusting.

Shortly afterwards, the office manager sent round an email to everybody saying that, under no circumstances are able-bodied people allowed to use the disabled toilet.

So I guess my AIBU is: 1) are disabled toilets ONLY for disabled people, or are they just accessible for disabled people but everyone can use them? and 2) am I being unreasonable using them for the above reasons?

TIA

I was informed that disabled toilets are not like the parking spaces, they are not for "disabled people only" to use. They are a facility, but can be used by others.

The parking spaces however ARE for disabled drivers only.

BunnyTyler - I thought that was a wind up product!

Sorry if I worded that wrongly or my information is not correct.

I also meant to say that wouldn't it be nice if all toilets were accessible to everyone.

My view of accessible toilets are that if you can use a normal toilet cubicle then you should do so. If you can't for whatever reason (physical disability, continence issues, needing to change a wet child into clean clothes, etc.) then that is what they are there for. Some people are fine waiting for a normal cubicle sometimes (and should do so at these time) but not others. You seem to fit into this latter category and it is therefore reasonable that you use this toilet whenever necessary.

3lucky I don't know if there is any legislation about it, but as someone who has IBD, I only use disabled/accessible toilets when I have to, and use the normal toilets when I don't. It just seems so inconsiderate to use them when I don't need to, and to inconvenience someone who does (pun intended ).

The parking spaces however ARE for disabled drivers only This is wrong. They are for blue badge holders. This maybe a non driver, a child, a teenager etc.

There are lots of 'grades,' if you like, of disabled loo. It's not as clear-cut as parking spaces IMO. Some are obviously for use by people using wheelchairs only - the ones with raised seats, lots of rails and padding, a pull alarm, easy-push flusher, low sinks, radar key entry, etc. I think it's unreasonable to use those ones. But some are just slightly wider cubicles in a row of narrower ones, so 'accessible' rather than for use only by people with physical disabilities. But there's a huge grey area in between, which it sounds like your work loo fits into.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the cubicle in your workplace if I had a long-term digestive illness though.

Of course, as the toilet had flooded, it was a disabled toilet and shouldn't have been used by anyone

YANBU.

My colleague has IBS and uses the disabled toilet.

Disabled doesn't mean 'wheelchair'.

A huge number of disabilities are invisible and concern our insides - in terms of toilets, I would consider IBS, Crohns etc' all perfectly valid reasons why you might want a more secluded toilet with no wait and a sink right there.

YANBU.

I use the disabled toilet when I have mobility needs (not all the time) which require me to use a stick. For the bars round the loo. Otherwise I could pull the loo roll holder off hauling myself up.

The ones with raised seats etc are for anyone that needs to use them, not just wheelchair users.

As a disabled person I am very much of the opinion that disabled toilets are only for disabled people and it boils my piss when people use them because they don't want to wait or they want to change their children's clothes or or or, but, you do not fall into that category, OP. You have a condition which perfectly entitles you to use them.

I am another IBS sufferer and I find it embarrassing when I have a bad episode I know it smells horrible. Most disabled toilets around where we live have a good ventilation system but many non disabled hasn't.

I try to use normal toilets when I am able but sometimes I can't make it that far and I have and do use disabled then. (and if i know that it will be explosive and yes I need acccess to a sink - horrid stuff isnt it op?)

Some are obviously for use by people using wheelchairs only - the ones with raised seats, lots of rails and padding, a pull alarm, easy-push flusher, low sinks, radar key entry, etc. I think it's unreasonable to use those ones.

They have all the facilities one type of disability might use. That doesn't mean all others are cancelled out! If the sign has braille dots next to it too, does that mean blind people only?
Those haul up bars - a person who uses a crutch - are they excluded?

...think about it, is any building going to build a variety of different accessible toilets or would they build one really good one that covers all bases.
Our local tesco has a whistles-and-bells disabled toilet plus 3 regular cubicles.

What are disabled people who do not use a wheelchair supposed to use? I think it's pretty clear! If there's no wheelchair user waiting, the disabled loo!

I'm off to Amazon for some Poo pourri.
My IBS means that my husband and I have separate loos, but sometimes we have to share. Which isn't nice for him...

Op YANBU - your IBS disables you in a way that makes it very difficult to use a standard loo, so I think you have every right to do so.

Mackerel, I don't know about that - we use the disabled toilet, because we have to change Ds on the floor, he is nearly 6 and in nappies. I think the design of disabled toilets is so appalling because they don't take into consideration of a variety of disabilities - some people need extra space for mobility equipment, higher toilets, padded seat and bars for stability, some people need a sink for hygiene and a shelf for bag changing, older children and adults may need adjustable changing tables, or hoists, people with severe sensory issues, may need a separate toilet to avoid the noise of the hand dryer and flush - but what we get is a large cubicle with some of those things if we are lucky and a baby changing table shoved in there (which of course is too small for older children and adults). It is appalling.

If anyone feels like signing the petition for more Changing Places - it can be found here www.changing-places.org

fabrica agree it should not be about convenience so if they can wait they should; I normally can but occasionally I can't and on those occasions I use whatever toilet I can get to in time, and sometimes barely make it. When I say changing a wet child's clothes I mean wet with urine not just rain. They need privacy and a wash.

YANBU, of course.

If your manager is sympathetic, can you approach them about the email/the office manager's attitude? If I were your manager I'd be tempted to have a quiet word with these colleagues about them being bitchy and judgemental towards one of my staff. They sound horrid and childish.

Obviously the OP should use the accessible toilets but I don't think she should give the managers email a second though. The OP has said lots of people are using the accessible loos so her email is just a reminder that only people who need it should use it.

Getting offended by the managers email is a bit like taking offense at a 'no shoplifters' sign in a shop when you are not a shoplifter.

I don't get the issue.

BTW I'm a mooncup user and while I can manage in a normal loo I would love it if more loos had sinks in the cubicle. I bleed heavily and it would be less messy if I had access to a sink.

As an UC sufferer I know all to well having to use disable toilets but my biggest gripe (like a lot of people on here) is the looks I get for using them.

FABRICA - you state you don't have a problem with people like myself using them but you then state 'it boils your piss when others don't want to wait or change their child's clothes' - how correct are you in your judgement that they can't wait because they might just have a bowl disease or that they've changed their child's clothes because that child has bowl disease and soiled themselves? This is the judgement we see all the time, and you say you don't judge!

hazeyjane You're absolutely right, that sounds like a nightmare. I have no idea why baby changing facilities are usually lumped in the disabled loo - as you say, it'd make much more sense to have a larger table for older children and adults, and put the baby facilities elsewhere. I'm off to sign the petition, I hope it leads somewhere. :)

If someone has a condition which means they need the disabled toilet - be that for space or for convince then of course they should use it.

It is the people who just nip into the disabled toilet with no need who are the problem. it also annoys me when the only baby change facility is in thr disabled toilets. They should be separate with a changing table in the disabled toilet for those who need the disabled facilities.

I was waiting for a disabled toilet recently with Ds and an elderly lady came out and apologised for leaving us waiting but she had recently had a colostomy bag fitted so needed to use the disabled toilet for the sink and space. I can only assume people had made negative comments to her for her to feel she needed to explain