Disabled toilets/all gender washroom

[Cheeseandapple]

Spotted at my local pool. Want to write to the manager...help me with what to say so I don't waffle!!

Hamster and Luangwa you both have justifiable reasons to use a disabled loo, not all disabilities are visible.
I imagine it would be difficult trying to sort a bag out in a tiny cubicle and when a person has needs that mean they need supervision (even if they're an adult) to stop them from wandering off into danger then you use the appropriate facility, which would be the disabled one.

IMO, it is utterly selfish to say that disabled toilets are only for the physically disabled

No it isn’t. It’s accurate. They are designed for those that cannot physically use other toilets able bodied people can.

I have an autistic child who wet herself into her teens. I can understand why you would want to use the disabled toilets. Personally I can fit in a normal toilet with my child, teenager now, and I do. We go together.

I am not an expert on this so I think you should speak to someone about her wetting herself intentionally. You might consider appropriate daytime incontinence pads or nappies.

Also, what you’re describing is not unusual to see- a carer with an adult in the disabled toilets. People obviously make reasonable allowances, but the primary purpose of those toilets are indeed for physical disabilities.

Ds is nearly 9, I couldn’t fit in a normal cubicle with him now - and a lot of the time he is in a wheelchair when out anyway.

Even if I could fit in a normal cubicle with him I wouldn’t because he deserves dignity and squashing into a tiny cublicle in the ladies with his mum isn’t dignified. Less so for a male but I would say the same for any older child/adult.

I don’t think pitting disabilities against each other helps, intact we all need to be fighting together for improved provision for disabled people and to stop the facilities constantly being expected to be shared

I don’t think pitting disabilities against each other helps

No it doesn’t. I was only answering someone else who was nitpicking over a previous comment of mine. My point was they are designed for physically disabled people, which is absolutely true, and was prompted by an earlier comment with regards to anxiety etc which I personally have, but I would never take the limited spaces available to physically disabled people. Nor would I do so for my child who has autism and some issues with toilets. But I can’t imagine anyone giving a carer grief for using disabled facilities for their learning disabled child, most of us would understand that’s a safety/practicality issue. Those of us pointing out that it is wrong to use disabled toilets if you’re not disabled, are not ignorant of the other circumstances with parents or carers of learning disabled people. And I think everyone agrees the existing provision is woefully inadequate. But it is important to remember those who the facilities were designed for, cannot physically use any other space.

It’s clear from the sign that this is NOT an toilet for the exclusive use of disabled people

Yes, that’s the problem 🙄

Good grief. I'm used to the argument that transpeople should use the disabled loos, and it's obviously crap. But are there actually people now straight faced arguing that anyone should be able to use the disabled provision if they want to, regardless of their needs, as long as they pop in and out and there aren't any disabled people about? The ignorance is jaw dropping.

zzzzz

You don’t think disabled toilets are for disabled people? Or this particular toilet? I’m not following what it is you are saying exactly.

FloralBunting yes indeed. I had a friend who would use the disabled shower at the gym every single day, and get into an argument with an elderly disabled woman quite frequently about it. She actually argued with a disabled elderly woman about how she ‘had needs too’. We had perfectly decent, private showers available for our use. She wanted the disabled shower because she liked to get completely dressed away from everyone else. This despite there being two private changing spaces you could pull a curtain across and get changed behind. She didn’t want to come out in her towel in front of us. Now, I am a very private person too and not everyone has the same comfort levels. But, I swam every day and didn’t want my own insecurities to stop that so I had to get over myself and I just put my underwear on in the showers. My friend continued to monopolise a disabled space, and abuse a disabled person who challenged her on it. All because she felt ‘her needs’ should be respected too.

I disagree she should be using a disabled shower. I would love someone to explain why they think she should.

Some places only have one toilet and that toilet is accessible.

However this toilet is at a swimming pool and they tend to have multiple toilets. Unless there is other provision for disabled users elsewhere, the decision not to restrict its use seems discriminatory against people who can only use that toilet.

A key? What locations are you talking about where disabled people need to ask for a key to use the toilet?

Anyone with any disability be it MS, EDS, bipolar disorder, cerebral palsy, registered blind is welcome to use any disabled toilet as far as I'm concerned. But if you're able bodied and can physically and safely use a "normal" toilet please do so. Making disabled toilets "all gender" will open the flood gates and the people most affected are the physically disabled for whom the space was designed for.

Zzzz if you're able to speak up for yourself then great but I will continue to challenge able bodied inconsiderate arsewipes who are too lazy to climb the stairs, walk the extra 20 metres or just fancy having somewhere to dump their shopping on behalf of those who can't because when I do I like to think they won't do it again.

zzzzz Ok so that’s very few spaces we are talking about, right? It’s not going to be the case typically and it’s not the kind of space the OP is talking about.

Zzzz I'd love to know where these amazing facilities exist, I might move there! Yes there are some toilets with radar key access but anyone can buy a radar key on eBay or Amazon as I said up thread, every trucker in the universe has one and they leave motorway service disabled toilets in a filthy, shit caked mess - go take a look, you will either find a radar key on top of the slot machine furthest left or just ask in the shop. Be my guest go take a piss in one of those if you dare, but you have a choice not to if you can access the other facilities.

Penny tell me where the gym is and I will come and have a chat with your friend

The legal obligation is to provide accessible toilets ie they can be used by people with disabilities. Not to provide toilets for the sole use of disabled people. Surely in an ideal world every single toilet would be of a size and set up that it can be used by anyone.

I haven't RTFT but just wanted to say that at the moment disabled toilets work on a trust system in that they are provided for people with disabilities but no one is going to check you have one.

Sometimes disabilities can be invisible, for instance someone with incontinence who wouldn't be able to queue for a toilet.

People with mental health illnesses are included under the disability umbrella, indicated by the four blue symbols, wheelchair, blindness, deafness and a head for mental health problems.

Are people with a GRA certificate classed as disabled ? Do they as a group need to use the disabled toilets ?

This is something they'll have to agree with disability groups to see if a recalculation is needed for the disabled toilet provision regulations.
If self-id comes in and these people are deemed to be disabled, then the building regulations will have to be adapted in order to take into account all the extra people.

zzzzz some disabled toilets are locked to prevent misuse. It's absolutely nothing to do with who can and cannot use disabled toilets. While the RADAR key scheme can stop people vandalising the facility, or stop people taking drugs in the toilet or even having sex in there it can be a barrier to disabled people. Not everyone knows about the scheme, or carries a key, so by the time they've found a member of staff it can be too late.

Accessible toilets are for disabled people. I really don't understand why some people are so hard of thinking, why they are so selfish or why, when there's multiple other facilities available to them, they have to use the one that's specifically for a protected group.

Accessible toilets are for disabled people. I really don't understand why some people are so hard of thinking, why they are so selfish or why, when there's multiple other facilities available to them, they have to use the one that's specifically for a protected group.

This,

These threads never fail to amaze, and annoy, me at the lengths some people will go to to justify their right to use them when they perfectly able bodied