to have told off colleague for using disabled toilet

[loopsylala]

I have a disability and often can't get into the toilet at work as its being used by people changing clothes etc.

I mentioned it to hr who put a sign up but that's been removed.

Just caught someone using it. I asked if he was disabled, he said no but that the other toilets are sometimes full. I said that didn't matter, as he shouldn't be using the disabled toilet.

I'm worried now I will get into trouble. I've complained about this so many times and don't want to be seen as a trouble maker or that it's "my" toilet.

I hate confrontation and want to get on with my colleagues.

Could I have handled it better?

first

Who should use the bathroom? Anyone with a genuine disability/health condition.

Not someone who can't be bothered to wait in a queue/needs to change clothes/needs to apply makeup/needs to do a smelly shite.

There's no CCTV in the corridor outside the toilets, although it is near the printer/kitchen.

You didn't answer about the visitors. How do they use a locked bathroom and do they have to be pre-vetted medically like the staff do?

YABU You were also unreasonable to ask someone if they had a disability. The toilets aren't reserved for disabled people they just are accessible.
One place I worked was a small office and only one toilet, it had been two a mens and a ladies originally, but was knocked into one large disabled access one, meaning the whole office could use it and anyone who needed disabled access toilet could get in and had the room needed. If that were not the case, I guess we'd all have to cross our legs all day at work and only the lady with a wheelchair could have a wee.

And what is a 'genuine' disability or health condition?

At my gym all loos (apart from in the changing rooms) are disabled accessible , does this mean we should only use the ones in the changing rooms?

A situation where all the toilets in an office or whatever are disabled accessible is clearly different from the situation OP describes in her office.

But stitches, an office needs to have X toilets per Y workers
It doesn't need X + 1 dedicated accessible one, so as I said upthread, but putting one out of action for all but ones OP deems disabled enough could put them in breach of HSE regs on the working environment

To answer your questions: YABVVU telling off a colleague for using the accessible toilet.
Yes you could have handled it better.

You say you have a hidden disability, what is it that stops you being able to use any other toilet? How does it feel to be challenged? (Which is what you did to your colleague...)

As an aside - I have had quite a good chuckle at the 'criminal damage' tangent someone call the police!

Yes, OP, who made you toilet prefect?

Of course everyone using it has a hidden need or IBS or such - which wouldn't be an issue I assume. Not those just be like the countless posters here who have posted that they use it the disability loo if they just want to or the others are busy. Then there are those using it to change or put make up on.

I can see that if lots of the general public just use them as and when with no thought to the issues that the disabled or those with genuine issues have - then it could be a problem. Especially as they can use any loo but a disabled person can't.

"Disabled" toilets aren't like disabled parking spaces for the sole use of people with special stickers. They are accessible toilets so people in wheelchairs can use them. Other people can use them as well, some places I've worked in just had accessible toilets.
Needing an accessible toilet and needing to go to the loo in a hurry are 2 different issues.
People shouldn't be using accessible toilets to change in though.

spare - I'm aware of the legislation. I worked in one office where the management decided that the only way to comply with the HSE regulations was to make all the toilets unisex, which pleased no one (incidentally, this solution would also work for the OPs office by the sound of it).

HSE regs or not, if a toilet's designated as disabled, people should try not to use it unless they really have to. Using it as a spare changing room or for doing make up is completely unacceptable.

Does your disability mean you need to use a bathroom extremely urgently? You asked the man if he had a disability so I'm sure you won't mind me asking you what disability you have.

If you're able to wait to use it - but just need an accessible toilet - then it really doesn't matter if you had to wait for this man to come out.

I once had a flare up on Crohns where I needed to get to the bathroom IMMEDIATELY. Luckily for me the disabled toilet was free and I made it on time with not a second to spare. I shudder to think about what would have happened if I hadn't made it as I was out in public with friends. I'm not technically disabled and should not have been using this toilet by your rules.

My employers don't know I have Crohns as I rarely have flare ups. If you had challenged me about using the toilet I would have been too embarrassed to say why I needed to use it - and I would feel it was absolutely none of your business. If HR had questioned me about it I would have been so embarrassed having to explain myself.

It's very inappropriate for you to be challenging someone you work with like that.

I'm sure it's tough having a disability but lots of us have issues we have to deal with even if we're not officially disabled - I get occasional Crohns flare ups. I also had cancer treatment that had certain consequences. When I was pregnant I had very bad morning sickness and needed to throw up every morning in work - I didn't want everyone listening to me doing his so I used the disabled toilets.

I get what you are saying but if the other are busy and that one is free I don't see the issue. Disability or not sometimes you have to queue.

It's interesting that there is no consensus on whether these toilets are reserved solely for the use of people with a disability, or simply accessible so that they can be used by someone with a disability when they are free.

So there are 2 cubicles and 1 disabled toilet per floor. I assume there are far more non disabled people hence the cubicles are 'often full.' Then we get into the debate of should a disabled person be expected to wait any more or less than a non disabled one?

Why should he tell you when asked if he is disabled?

TABs never get it, by the time they do, they conveniently forget what selfish little shits they have been.

Most humans choose to convince themselves of what ever suits them at the time.

What does TAB mean?

So there are 2 cubicles and 1 disabled toilet per floor

No, 4 cubicles.

'I asked if he was disabled'

Who the fuck are you to ask anyone that.

sparechange I think you've missed my point.

It is one thing waiting for a disabled person to finish using the loo. It is something else to expect a disabled person to wait for an able bodied person to finish doing their hair! I was making the point to the posters who said "what's the problem - OP can just wait a few minutes". Not all disabled people have the luxury of "just being able to wait a few minutes".

It depends on whether disabled people are generally capable of waiting in the same ways everyone else is ?

If they are I cannot see why it should only be used by disabled people ?

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