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?

*Today 11:09 FanjofortheMammaries

To be honest I think there are far less hypochondriacs than there are real people with invisible illnesses who suffer from an unfair lack of understanding.*

Bit rich from someone who has bullied an OP with a disability for DAYS now too.

I really CBA to read it all the way back to quote it but I'm sure Fanjo has mentioned on this thread that they have a DC with an invisible disability.

Yes and I indeed have one myself which I don't mention much at all here or IRL

I've been accused of being a hidden disability denier as well. I'm most baffled by it

Maybe I'm one too? Despite having a hidden disability myself, being married to someone with one and having a DS with one.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at some of the people who are being a accused of being hidden disability deniers especially given some of them are people are are often amongst the first to stand up for disability rights in threads

Makes a change from being accused of always assuming everyone has a hidden disability I guess.

A change is as good as a rest, isn't it?

What the fucks happened on here tonight!

No YANBU,who ever took the sign of was being and anyone who isn't disabled and is using the disabled toilet is as well!

I'm disabled OP,we have 5DC and 2 of our DC are disabled as well.Because of one of my disabilitys and one of our DD's we can't wait sometimes.If were both in our wheelchairs as well there's no way we could fit inside a normal sized cubicle.

Yabu. Disabled toilets are prioritised for disabled people but if the other cubicles are busy then it's ok for anyone to use them.

I know from having a partner with Crohn's disease that some people can't 'hold on' and are very likely to be in dire need of a cubicle at short notice, my partner isn't classed as disabled but his need for a toilet is acute.

Having a bowel disease is the same as having a disability if you need that toilet you need the toilet

When I'm in my wheelchair and waiting outside these toilets you'd be amazed at how many people look ashamed, can't look me in the eye or apologise while rushing past me to get out! I take that as a sign of guilt at using them out unnecessarily.

Red, perhaps it's just because they have been judged so much in thr past? I was waiting to take Ds into thr disabled toilets recently when a lady of about 70 came out very apologetic about having been in the toilets, she then explained she had bowel cancer and needed to change her colostomy bag.

The poor woman shouldn't have had to justify herself, and didn't need to because it hadn't even crossed my mind to judge, but presumably in the last she had been made to feel guilty

Red - You really shouldn't, when I had a Crohns flare and had to use the disabled toilet, and now I have my ileostomy and have to use the disabled toilet I still have a guilty look on my face when I leave and have to make eye contact with someone waiting outside, I'm a fit, healthy looking 32 year old.... you would never guess looking at me that there is anything wrong with me. I was in a shopping centre this morning and took ages in the toilet, the handle went down around 3 times, when I left it was the cleaner standing there trying to get in, the way he looked it me was appalling... I know exactly what he was thinking, I have to deal with this sort of thing all the time.

you know why.....
cos of all the misuse by people who have no need except its there.

This has got nothing to do with what toilet the guy used or whether he's disabled or not (no-one has a right to demand this info so he should get benefit of the doubt)

The issue here is that some people are using toilet cubicles (none disabled cubicles as well probably) to do non toileting things. Hr could look to manage this but obviously it would be outrageous to demand proof of what somebody does in a toilet cubicle (about as unreasonable as demanding disabled people register with hr to be able to access appropriate facilities)

In an ideal world hr could manage this and stop this behaviour so that all colleagues can have access to toilets when required rather than risking someone holding up a cubicle for something inappropriate.

Disabled people don't trump non disabled for something so generic, sometimes you have to wait for the toilet, sometimes you can be pretty sure the person in there is doing something stupid like checking Facebook or make up but that's life, disabled or not.

oh ffs hundreds of posts......and still people don't get what being disabled is like.

You know Rollergirl when you clutch your own bag of piss underyour top so it doesnt fall on the floor in front of a roomful of people then and only then do you have the right to say disabled people can wait for a toilet you know fuck all about it

What makes you think I'm not disabled? Why does my experience / views on being disabled have to be the same as yours?