The Problem with Accessible Toilets

mattwheelsinthediff
mattwheelsinthediff Online Community Member Posts: 1 Listener
edited January 11 in Everyday life

Good afternoon!

A few years ago, when I first started using a wheelchair, I had a frightening experience when using an accessible loo. I got stuck and needed to pull the emergency pull-cord, which ended up being faulty. I was found on the floor six hours later!

I now work for BBC Wales and want to highlight the problem with accessible toilets.

It might be that the toilet was out of order, full of furniture or faulty/missing pull-cord!

I'm particularly looking for people in Wales to take part in this project.

Please share your stories and let me know if you would be happy to talk to me!

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Comments

  • kitsmum
    kitsmum Online Community Member Posts: 57 Empowering

    Im not from Wales but I used toilets in Wales whilst on holiday and like England some of my biggest issues are:

    Toilet not the right shape /size making it difficult to manoeuvre in a wheelchair

    Dual use with change station means bins in the wrong places

    Accessible toilets are quite often dirty, low on toilet roll and soap

    In Tenby there was an accessible toilet but it used a key from the council and not a radar key so I couldn't get in and had to struggle to use a non accessible toilet.

    Hope that is of some help

  • Littlefatfriend
    Littlefatfriend Online Community Member Posts: 83 Empowering
    edited January 6

    My only curious tale from public toilets was about twenty years ago, in a service station in Kent.

    After I transferred onto the loo and removed my trousers I heard a rattling sound coming from the door.

    Less than a minute later the door was opened by three female pensioners.

    They'd used a 10p coin to open the lock from outside!

    A minute or so after they left, the door was again opened by a father and child. They left it open!!

    I was living in Liverpool at the time which is close to Wales.

    Good luck

  • kitsmum
    kitsmum Online Community Member Posts: 57 Empowering

    @Littlefatfriend

    That would be my worst nightmare whilst using any toilet. I always sit there hoping i am safe!

  • RedEarth
    RedEarth Online Community Member Posts: 59 Connected

    Find a decent toilet is a hard thing to find nowadays especially that there're less toilets. Disabled toilets combined with Baby changing rooms. No radar key, access to anyone, it wouldn't be so bad if people knew how use the toilet.