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?

Are there two toilets + a disabled toilet
Or
3 toilets, one of which is wheelchair accessible?

Yes there is a difference, and removal of the sign suggest its the latter in which suggests management see that everyone has equal access, disabled or not,

Sometimes that's just the way it is.

You sound like a barrel of laughs to work with.

I have a hidden disability too, more then one actually so please don't come with that swap places crap. I think you are being unreasonable and so will most of the people who have disabilities from the disabled people's organisation I work at.
I take it you know 100% your colleague does not have a hidden disability or medical
condition. I have been challenged using an accessible toilet and no way on this earth would have disclosed my disability to that women because why the hell should I.
It's an accessible toilet which means it can be used by those who need extra space such as people in wheelchairs and those with mobility problems and that is actually what they were designed for. It could be argued by some that only people who need extra space should use them- however
luckily quite often these toilets are quite often free so others with medical conditions can use them if they need somewhere to go quickly.'but it is also what it is- a toilet to be used by anyone.

We have 4 floors.

Each floor except the ground has men's, ladies, one disabled and a changing room.

There are two cubicles in the men's and in the ladies.

There are 62 people on my floor but not all here at once

Not necessarily, Barbarian

I would sometimes need to get to a toilet very quickly, and would need one with a basin in there too. If that as an accessible one, I would certainly use it. However I would not need to tell work about it, I don't need any other adjustments, and I wouldn't take kindly to having to talk anyone through my internal organs and their issues with some bod from HR, just so I could use the loo.

In work places the limited number of toilets and the time constraints can make using accessible toilets different from when people are outside of work.
When I was teaching there were 10 female members of staff sharing 1 toilet with only a 15 minute break. If there was an accessible toilet available I would have used it.

Fair enough Ziggy I've never worked with anyone with IBD who hasn't occasionally said "I need to go home now" with a strained expression and shot out of the room like a rocket so maybe I'm projecting. I also have a very outdoorsy job, as do my colleagues, which is maybe why it's more of an issue.

You can actually be sacked for asking someone if they are disabled at work. Its an act of gross misconduct.
YABVU. The disabled toilet is a toilet that has disabled access. Not one solely for the use of disabled people.

If you have a problem with people using it as a changing room, ask HR to deal with it. Ask again, and again. But dont tackle people yourself.

A sign was put up which was very shortly after found in the bin

So what did the employer do about this act of criminal damage ?

I must admit, I must be getting old. I was in a room with a bunch of HR professionals 2 days ago, as the technical expert on an internal communications project. I watched 4 people spend the best part of an hour poncing around "how can we get people to update their details". Voucher schemes ? Free meals in canteen ? Run a campaign ?

When I suggested "just set the system up to force them to do it before they can continue" I was looked at like I had suggested eating babies and throwing the bones out the window. Although, as they (eventually) admitted (a) there was no reason not to do this, and (b) it probably was the most effective way to ensure an outcome.

Quite aside from the fact that signage can fall under H&S legislation (as well as equality legislation). And I have never worked anywhere where it was not gross misconduct, and a short walk to the exit if you were caught tampering with anything provided under H&S legislation.

Back to the OP. YWNBU. It's impossible to explain to some people how 20 "just a minutes" use of a facility like an accessible toilet can actually result in it being permanently out of use for the people it's needed by.

That said, if any of the transgressors lived near a school, had a drive, and found 10 sets of "just a minute" parkers actually meant they couldn't get on/off their drive, they'd suddenly understand.

Could the door not be fitted with a RADAR key ? FWIW ?

Quite shocked at the support for him. Oh to swap places with you all..

As with the colleague you berated, you have absolutely no idea what conditions or issues people are thread have/are dealing with.

You rightly want people to be considerate to you OP, but it is a two-way street. That's two examples of you assuming that you're the only one with a disability, hidden or otherwise.

Barbarian its not just IBD though, thats my point. I don't have that. And what I do have is not something I share with people, certainly not anyone who challenged me outside a loo, or my managers!

on this thread

I have IBS and sometimes I have to make a dash for the loo eg in dept stores. I use the disabled toilet because I wouldn't be able to wait in the queue. I've also used them when I've had toddlers with me who have waited til the v last minute to go! I don't apologise if anyone is waiting if it's been me in the toilet, but have apologised and explained when the kids have been with me.
I can honestly say most people have understood and said not to worry, in a kind of 'we've all been there' way

Micah "Maybe approach HR about the lack of changing facilities?"

If you don't want to read the entire thread, you could at least read the OP's posts. She said "There is a changing room/shower right next to it"

Suspect the OP has really got people's backs up if they are deliberately not using the changing room right next door and have gone to the effort to pick a lock. I assume, if they're going to those lengths, they have a real need to use this toilet.

So OP, you asked what now? Drop the campaign.

i understand. It's not a matter of keeping it solely for you but everyone keeps using it on the most spurious of reasons so it is causing you an issue.

It's hardly being entitled to be a bit miffed by that.

people who claim the OPs colleagues will think she is "twattish" ..i disagree..the twats will think she is twattish..no great loss

shocked at all the yabus!!! of course yanbu you're the one who NEEDS the disabled toilet and hopefully he'll think twice now!

Sordid most of the Yabu are based on the op questioning her colleague about his disability. She had no right and he could have said no because he does not need to explain to her.

The thing is, if there is a disabled loo readily available, and you have the runs, and the other loos are full, you use the disabled loo, don't you. Or you risk shitting everywhere.

There aren't enough loos in the world.

Where we live, all the public loos are being shut to save money. I have a medical issue which means I often have little warning. It's a matter of time before I'm arrested for indecent exposure but what the bloody hell do you do!!!

Do you think it's right to ask people if they're disabled mysordidcakesecret?

MySordidCakeSecret Neither you or the OP has any idea who "needs" the toilet. Many people with medical needs for it have said, in this thread, that they would rather lie to the OP than answer intrusive questions about their medical needs.

Our only loo is suitable for disabled people. What are we supposed to do.

FFS it is about having access to and priority for a loo - not an exclusive space that might only get used occasionally!

I don't understand something, sorry, i'm dim.

I thought disabled toilets were specially adapted for people unable to use a non adapted toilet? a person who needs rails to help them on and off, a pull cord for emergencies and extra room for wheel chairs and such. someone who is basically physically unable to use a non adapted toilet.

But OP says My disabilities are hidden too so I assume that means no wheel chair or physically noticeable handicap?
if that's the case, and this sounds horrible, but then why do you need to use an adapted toilet? shouldn't it be reserved for someone who is physically unable to use a non adapted toilet?

thinking on, maybe OPs colleagues have also noted that there's nothing physically stopping her using the non adapted toilets and they resent her crusade to stop them using the disabled toilet when the others are full? it sounds like the sort of thing that would breed resentment in an office TBH.

Seeyounearertime In an ideal world there would be enough non-accessible toilets for everybody who is physically able to use them, but there aren't. So people who can't queue for a non-accessible toilet (e.g. pregnant women, desperate toddlers, people with IBS) use accessible toilets as they are usually available.