To be annoyed at being told to be considerate of disabled people

[DefendingPan]

This sign was in the disabled toilet in a restaurant (which is also the only baby change in the restaurant).

What’s the point of this sign? What might parents be doing that they will stop after reading this?

What do you do when you cannot physically get a normal sized pram/buggy into the toilets in the first place (due to heavy doors, tight corners, extremely narrow corridors, etc)?

Unfortunately the government doesn't care about toilets.
They are happy to have:

• tiny cubicles with huge queues outside the ladies
• shared accessible toilets with baby change facilities
• baby changing facilities without actual toilets (so that parents and older siblings cannot have a wee)
• baby changing facilities only in the ladies (because male parents don't exist 🙄)

What would mum do.
Not all kids would say anything. We don't know the ages.
Every second counts.
I just have one kid and they come in with me in whatever loo I use but the standard loos which I use on a good day could be tricky with 2 kids.

Yes just so happens Im fond of both of mine. I guess otherwise you have to pick a favourite.

Standard cubicle sizes aren’t big enough
They are for single person use ( to maximise number ) and even then some are really small and not suitable especially if you’re larger than average or pregnant.

Oh. I've only been on this site for a few weeks as an effort to keep my English language skills going, since I left the UK 24 years ago. Where I live, Corsica, you're very lucky to find a disabled toilet or baby change facilities at all. I'm such a country mouse.

It's when I read threads like this it makes me thankful I am friends with people who take a realistic approach to life and parenting and are considerate of others less fortunate than themselves.

I am sad there are so many selfish arseholes in the world.

just to be clear here.

The provision of accessible bathrooms is a law so that disabled people aren't at a disadvantage.

When there is a public bathroom with 2-3 cubicles, and 1 accessible bathroom, an able bodied person who does not NEED the accessible bathroom to use the toilet, is using a facility that is not there for them. You are putting the disabled person back at a disadvantage because they don't have the option of using one of the other 2-3 cubicles.

I don't understand why that is so hard to grasp.

However I have had to wait ages before whilst parents have taken all 3 of their kids in to the toilet

I see this happen fairly often. It makes it easier for Mum to keep all kids together and get them all toileted without having to wait for cubicles within the regular Ladies loo.

Having a disabled adult daughter whose pad I have to change, it makes life
so much harder for the rest of us who have to use the accessible toilet through necessity - not just for a bit of convenience.

I imagine that's the sort of thing the notice is about.

I am just pointing out how stupid to have baby changing in the disabled toilet

It's actually really handy for those of us who are disabled and have a baby..

Or have a disability that means moving around can be tricky

That makes it worse not better… her child was abducted from her under nose. With a physical barrier and no line of sight surely the risk is greater.

ffs, if you have a disability that makes moving around in a normal cubicle difficult, then you're perfectly entitled to use the accessible bathroom.

jfc.

But it shouldn’t be the only option. It should be there for those with disabilities who need it (actually it should ideally be a full changing places toilet) but it shouldn’t be the only one and it should only be for those who need it.

Obviously but it shows how shitty "standard" design is. I can use some standard loos easily they could easily be made more inclusive

As a healthy looking 20 something with a colostomy bag I can't begin to describe the number of times disabled people have given me grief coming out of a disabled toilet. I imagine a vocal disabled person has complained to management over one incident and they put up the sign

I agree but due to cost and a lack of understanding of the number of people who need an accessible loo they don't bother. Plus to rub salt into the wound the changing table in the accessible loo offen isn't accessible!!!

The audacity of some people. One day it may blow up in their faces if they mess with/challenge someone aggressive

However
An accessible bathroom is a space provided which is a larger space, has grab rails, raised toilet etc. It has everything in it so that a disabled person can use it In accordance with the Equalities Act.
Its there so that disabled people have somewhere to use but it’s not exclusively for them

The reason for this is because buildings need a certain number of conveniences to accommodate a predicted number of users. That number is an overall number and WC provision is an overall figure based on total usage. Then Brocken down into male, female, accessible and mixed.

As such There is currently no law that prevents anyone using an accessible bathroom.
So mothers with kids or whoever have the right to the space.

Consideration for everyone is needed.

I’m guessing you mean because it’s too high ?
In which case Thats a really good point.

This thread is a really sad example of what happens when there is a lack of resources. Lots of people hating on each other, arguing over who has the greatest need, and lacking any empathy.

Of course it was. The rude twirp could understand that the Ex might punch him. Being not in a wheelchair and not a woman.

OP, you've said that you were annoyed by the sign, but you haven't said why, so what was it that annoyed you?

You are absolutely right
Money speaks and developers don’t like paying for the spaces

I would never insert myself (or my kids) between a person waiting for the disabled loo and the loo. But if the toilet is vacant I really struggle to understand why a mother making calculated decision to use it in order to keep their children safe is such a crime. I wouldn’t enquire as how disabled a person should be to use an accessible toilet but equally I don’t feel you should have to justify the basis on which you chose to keep your kids safe.

IME at the venues I’m describing there is more toilets than demand. If the venue is much smaller then that would eliminate the need for a parent, like me to use the loo in the circumstances I have described anyway.

Either way, I’m comfortable I’ve made an appropriate and considerate decision each time I’ve done it. My youngest is now 3 - eldest 5. Cannot imagine leaving the 3 year old the otherside of the toilet door in somewhere like the Bullring with a baby in with me. I wouldn’t take eyes off my 5 year old somewhere like that.

@SavingTheBestTillLast even if everyone has the legal right to use it, it doesn't give them the moral right does it?