Wasn't allowed to use disabled toilet despite the fact no other toilet was available. AIBU?

[fakenamefornow]

Seaside town with beach that stretches about 1.5 miles away from town centre with just flats and houses facing beach, ie no pubs or cafés that might let me use the toilet. It's about 10am rainy January morning, nobody else about apart from about two/three people and dogs on the beach.
Half way along on seafront is a public toilet block. Both mens and womens shuttered up and locked. Disabled toilet, locked, had a phone number to call for remote access so they could let people in. Called number and despite me pleading that I was desperate for the loo (I was) and pointing out no others available, I was refused absolutely point blank access because I wasn't disabled.
I don't think this is fair at all, but what do others think?
YANBU - she should have let you in.
YABU - no way should she have let you in regardless of how much you needed the loo.

I suspect this is because councils have to make provision for disabled people and the lock is to ensure these loos aren’t vandalised. It’s rubbish though.

I was going to agree with you that's it's ridiculous but after seeing it's actually a changing spaces toilet rather than a standard accessable loo I can see where they're coming from. They probably have to send out a cleaner on the days it does get used plus it's paid for by a charity.
Good to see the area has one though, I know a friend with an adult son who has needs to use one and they're hardly anywhere meaning they end up changing him on the floor!

I wasn't basing my case on only the people who you know. I was responding to you saying that it's a straw man argument and I disagree. Personally I'd be fine with the women you describe using a radar key when they're suffering, but the system is also open to abuse and it's fair enough for @NotAFanOfJan to make a plea for people not to buy radar keys just in case they're in the OP's situation. It's a valid point and not a straw man imo.

Please don't bother the people who lead on the Charging Places campaign. There's nothing they can do about this. These are specialist toilets designed for disabled people with high support needs, who cannot use the general accessible loos. Your complaint should be focused on why the other loos were locked up.

I say YABU(ish) as it is a changing places facility and not just a public toilet. If it was a regular disabled toilet, then I would have definitely said YANBU. There is expensive equipment in there like hoists and an adjustable changing table. They are very few and far between and are a godsend.

The more people who use it, the more risk there is of the equipment being misused and damaged.

However, given that there were no other facilities around, and you weren't blocking access for anyone else, they could have used their discretion and let you in.

Direct your annoyance to the council for not providing any regular toilets.

This.
Also, the way accessible toilet locks are designed, it’s hard to tell if someone is already in there (the red dot is unreliable) so you’re running the risk of opening the door on someone who’s already in there. And that’s horrifying for anybody, let alone if they’re physically disabled. I’d imagine people who are actually eligible to buy one from one of the schemes would be aware of the etiquette here unlike Tom dick and Harry.

Agree. Ds is disabled and we bought a radar key. I do get pissed off realing off his conditions and wonder if others would like to tell me about their private medical history. I'm very much more "none of your business" the last time someone told me he looked fine, he was three. That really pissed me off on so many levels.

'Changing places' are big and fancy as they have space enough for large wheelchairs, hoists etc. They are expensive and not very often sorted out/installed ( i know this as I've been involved with a hospital group trying to sort them out), so id agree with them they shouldn't be used by everyone.

However if normal loos are out of order, they should be accessible to all....or even better, other loos should be fixed ASAP. Some of us with lesser disabilities can't walk around town looking for a different one.

They'd be assessing whether you are in an electric wheelchair etc, or have certain other conditions.

Just out of interest, did you manage to find somewhere else to go?

Life lesson there. Lie next time....or have the same problem.

You would need extra space and bins to deal with a stoma. Having a stoma doesn't put you in a wheelchair but it is perfectly justified to use a disabled space

But Changing Places are specifically for those in chairs who need hoisting. The complaint here should be that the public toilets were closed to everyone.

I know, as I know someone with one. When its full, you need instant access to a loo!
Its not on their website but I've heard (aforementioned hospital) people talk about cp loos as for stomas too.

Those are different types of accessible toilets. They have expensive equipment in them like hoists and adult size changing beds. They're regularly vandalised or sadly some homeless people have no choice but to sleep in them. There was also some idiotic love island "star" who did a live post about how good they are for having sex. Standard practice for these toilets is they get cleaned after every use and to check the equipment hasn't been damaged or not put back on charge. As it was this type of toilet, I can understand why they have strict rules.

I couldn't get a blue badge for my hip issues because I could have an operation at some stage. Luckily I had also stenosis of the spine which did tick the right box. Femoral collapse didn't apparently.

Once both hips are done and I become mobile again I won't need a disabled loo, unless my back goes, which it has done before. So I'll use the ordinary loo. Luckily I'm using sticks, crutches at the moment so no tutting going on by members of the public.

If your friend has a long term condition then they may be deemed disabled - may be worth them seeing what help is out there if needed. Eg i believe passes can be shown that mean more immediate access in shops etc.

But now imagine that your friend desperately needed that toilet, and someone was in there for no other reason than they didn’t want to queue…. That’s the point I’m trying to make. The radar keys are for those with a genuine need. Not just advising anyone to buy them.

If there were a dune or some other way of concealing myself, I would probably have just squatted down and had a quick wee. I run a lot (and maybe lack the dignity of others') but I've often gone behind a hedge, bush etc.

Disabled loos are for those disabled. You could have used the men’s loo. 🙄

Changing places toilets aren’t normal disabled toilets. Changing places toilets aren’t as commonplace as disabled toilets. Many places don’t have one at all.

We use CP toilets with DS1. I know of a couple where they brought in a similar system and are strict about who they let in after significant damage on more than one occasion. Such damage means they can’t be used by those they are intended for. That is why they are closely guarded.

The complaint should be on the other toilets being closed rather than not being allowed to use the changing places toilet.

They aren’t just for those needing hoisting. For example, some need the larger changing table but don’t need hoisting.

Handicap is a decades old term, person with disabilities / disabled is the right one to use please. Thanks :)

I dont need hoisting but I do use changing places toilets because I need room to park my large powerchair right next to the toilet so I can safely transfer. Standard accessible toilets (which by law only need to have a 1.5m turning circle) are rarely large enough for me to be able to even get my chair in, let alone be able to get out of said chair.

Yes, this is a legitimate use of a CP toilet. Page 7 of their PDF guide BTW.

This is the key point here. It’s not just a disabled toilet, it is a specialist facility, provided for a very specific purpose. It is not a public toilet. They need to be kept available for those who need them and letting others in to them puts additional maintenance and repair pressures on them.

These toilets are hard won as a result of some frustrating, difficult campaigning by people who frankly have quite enough on their plate but managed to fight for these spaces. They are usually a result of additional fundraising too. People who need to use them have already had to go quite far out of their way to get there after having searched to find their nearest facility. They have probably planned their entire day around this being available. This one is at Tropicana @ Weston Super-Mare. The next nearest one to this is half a mile away (if the town hall is open) or 3 miles away at Tesco. It would be incredibly frustrating to get there and find it in use by a non disabled person who is incapable of planning a walk to the beach without thinking about where they might go to the toilet.

What’s confusing to me is, the public toilets right next to there are managed by the same people you were on the phone to. I’m surprised they didn’t advise you or you didn’t ask why they were closed. They don’t have shutters on them so not sure what you mean by “shuttered”. Is it possible you didn’t want/weren’t able to pay the 30p to access them?

I’m also confused about you saying there was nowhere within a 1.5 mile radius you could find a toilet. There are a few cafes in the area. The main part where all the cafes are is a 15 minute walk. There’s the golf club a few minutes walk. There are a plethora of hotels you could have gone in to. I’m sure some kindly soul would have taken pity if you were absolutely desperate.

Your problem isn’t that wou weren’t able to access this toilet, it was that you believe there was no alternative but aren’t prepared to raise that issue with those who provide public toilets for non disabled people.

Oh dear , non disabled person gets the kind of treatment that disabled people get on an almost daily basis. You. Issue is with the able bodied toilets being closed, not the disabled ones.