Public Handicapped/Disabled Washrooms

[gbamber]

Having just returned from a cruise, I was disgusted with the number of non-disabled using washrooms designed for the disabled to use.

 

Please don't use a washroom or stall built for the disabled. We need them.... often desperately!

 

You have your own facilities... we need ours.

 

Thank you.

[ndsumfun]

Glad they even "HAD" a disabled stall!!! last ports we went too didn't have any! It was tough to say the least!

[Quampapetet]

Remember that not everybody who is disabled looks disabled. Ppl who look just fine may need to use the features of the accessible stall (i.e. handrails, the size, etc.) in order to go to the bathroom.

 

The so-called "companion bathrooms" are usually made for both disabled folks and ppl with children (they are sometimes referred to as "family bathrooms").

 

When in the US or anywhere else that has laws about a certain number of toilets having to be in a place (i.e. depending on how many ppl a restaurant can seat), often the accessible stall is counted as one of those required number, not an extra one.

 

Remember, too, that ppl with disabilities aren't the only ones who may desperately need to use a toilet.

 

Now, if you are waiting in a line for a stall and the accessible one becomes free and the people in front of you in line do not let you take it, then that is uncalled for!

[franu]

Thanks Quampapetetfpr the heads up.

 

I truly wish that it wasn't necessary to use a HC washroom, but I do most of the time. When I have some better days I will use any stall but I intensely dislike being questioned about why I need one. My medical condition is not up for discussion in the washroom.

 

I do not like when able bodied persons do not respect disabled people but I am just as annoyed when disabled people adopt an attitude and speak down to the others. My disabilities are just as real as yours although at times it is not visible.

Fran

[CaptData]

I agree that just because a person does not look disabled they are not. I have MS and don't always need a H/C washroom but use a scooter due to distance and balance problems. I have gotten off the scooter and used a normal washrrom at times and the looks are killers.

 

A friend I met on board only has balance problems but needs hand rail to get up and down from tolets. She does not use a can all the time. she looks like she could take on anybody and win a prize fight but if she bends over she will fall. (Her inner ear is not good).

[dakwriter]

Having just returned from a cruise, I was disgusted with the number of non-disabled using washrooms designed for the disabled to use.

 

Please don't use a washroom or stall built for the disabled. We need them.... often desperately!

 

You have your own facilities... we need ours.

 

Thank you.

It's unfortunate, but most AB people won't be reading your post. How well I recall sitting in my wheelchair in a restaurant bathroom, waiting desperately for the only HC stall to become available. The apparently AB woman inside finally came out, telling me she was sorry for the long wait but the bigger stall makes it easier for her to put on her makeup!:mad:

[Arlened236]

I love reading these posts and most of what is written is true. My problem with HC stalls is that they were designed by non HC people. They do not have any idea that there needs to be room for the w/c or scooter and still have room for the occupant to turn around in stall. I am an above the knee amputee an I need room to make my prosthesis bend at the knee so I can sit down. So many times I find myself trying to get to the seat...pants down and prosthesis bent, plus hopping on one leg over the feet of my w/c. I know this is a very funny sight, so I find myself laughing so I wont cry.

I too are very happy when there are HC stalls, and I always appreciate when an AB person apologizes for using it. I always say 'no problem' and thank them for even thinking about it....not sure how I feel about a woman putting on make-up in the stall! I think she would get the idea from the look I would be sending her.

I wish all HC bathrooms would have a button on the wall to open the door from the inside and outside of the room (like they do on RCCL) makes it so much easier to be independant and not having to wait for someone to open the door for you. Its a real trick to open the door from an electric scooter (which I use for long distances)...I think I almost hit someone with the door trying to push it open with the scooter. OOPS.

Hopefully things will get better.

[Umbarger]

I always use handicapped stalls. I may look totally normal walking into the stall, however, I have Muscular Dystrophy. I need the higher toilet and grab bars to be able to get back up into a standing position.

 

I also don't feel like I need to explain my medical history and diagnosis to strangers just to use a handicapped stall. No one better ask me why I am using the handicapped stall. They may get more information than they want. :eek:

[gbamber]

All three people who were in there while I was outside doing the gotta-go dance exited very rapidly upon seeing me waiting and definitely were not impaired physically, just mentally, as there was a regular washroom right nearby.

 

I never express judgment on sight, I just look determined, and wait for their sheepish "sorry" looks. If they are legit, they wouldn't dash off burning tread marks in the carpet! Oh well.

 

Ultimately it is up to me to not leave it to the last minute!

[Texalana]

I have arthritis in my knees (among other places) and it is very painful to bend my knees to use a low toilet, so I always use the HC stall - even if I have to wait for it to open up. Since a lot of people seem to prefer these anyway, I think businesses should install the higher toilets in MOST of the stalls. This would help people (like me) who don't need the extra room, but who do need the higher seat. ;)

 

Texalana :)

[Quampapetet]

The apparently AB woman inside finally came out, telling me she was sorry for the long wait but the bigger stall makes it easier for her to put on her makeup!:mad:

 

How on earth does a larger stall make it easier to put makeup on then, I dunno, say the mirror over the sink(s)?! :rolleyes: Some ppl don't get it!

[Quampapetet]

All three people who were in there while I was outside doing the gotta-go dance exited very rapidly upon seeing me waiting and definitely were not impaired physically, just mentally, as there was a regular washroom right nearby.

 

Sorry, but I don't think that comment about mental impairments is appropriate when you're trying to get others to respect your own impairment(s).

 

I never express judgment on sight, I just look determined, and wait for their sheepish "sorry" looks. If they are legit, they wouldn't dash off burning tread marks in the carpet! Oh well.

 

Even a legit person may apologize or give a "sorry" look to somebody who is in a wheelchair (or even not) and looks like they need to "go" desperately. I know I would and I use the h/c stalls/restrooms for a legit reason.

 

Ultimately it is up to me to not leave it to the last minute!

 

True, but that can be hard to do sometimes for everybody! Me, I forget I have to go (sounds stupid, I know, but it happens all the time/every day for me). My service dog reminds me, though, 'cause I trained her to tell me when she has to go and we're pretty much on the same schedule (now that I admit is weird, LOL!) so when she goes, I go (before or after, depending on how badly I have to go).

[gbamber]

Sorry, but I don't think that comment about mental impairments is appropriate when you're trying to get others to respect your own impairment(s).

 

I separate those who are genuinely mentally impaired from those who are mentally impaired in the "too dumb to think" type, such as some politicians, some teenagers, etc. Perhaps the English language requires a separate word, but certainly I hope people can distinguish and laugh at what I intended. Otherwise we'll get bogged down in semantics.

[cruznut1111]

Having just returned from a cruise, I was disgusted with the number of non-disabled using washrooms designed for the disabled to use.

 

Please don't use a washroom or stall built for the disabled. We need them.... often desperately!

 

You have your own facilities... we need ours.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Oh wow! I've read this a couple times and decided not to touch it, but then I come back to it. So here goes. As an AB ex-property manager, I would have to say "accessible does not mean it was ever meant to be exclusive." In public restrooms the number of commodes is based on the total number of people who would have to use them. The number does not increase because some are sized as accessible.

 

Now, I know this is a very different standard than for handicapped parking stalls. I would never consider parking in one, or misusing the handicapped sticker I use only when my mother is in the car. (She's the reason I'm on this site and I appreciate all the great info we got from it.)

 

Would I use a handicapped accessible stall if it were the only one available and I had to go- desperately - of course. Would I step back and first offer it to another if their greater need were obvious to me? Of Course.

 

As far as putting on makeup, well, that is just beyond my comprehension.

[Aerorea]

I agree with Cruznut, if it's the only one available, I use it. If someone in a wheelchair/walker is waiting, then I let them have it. I'm considered an AB by most, though I'm legally blind so a bigger bathroom does nothing for me. I get the "look" when using my HC parking pass so I know appearances are deceiving.

 

This does remind me of an experience I had in a dept. store restroom not too long ago. There were about 5 stalls and the only one open was the HC. Not to be TMI, but I was very ill, so I dashed in there. A few minutes later, I'm still sick, but some of the other bathrooms had opened up. At this time, a witch with a stroller literally has a royal FIT because someone is in the HC and she wants/needs it to park the stroller & kids in. She went on & on about how she "had" to have it to other patrons all due to the stroller, not a HC. I had no pity for her and took my sweet time. If she would have had said something kind to me (and not everyone else), I would have attempted to hurry up.

 

I guess my whole point is that sometimes an AB has no choice and sometimes realize that it may have been the only one open when they walked in. Then, of course there are those like the witch who are simply confused. :)

[Hebe]

The thing that gets me is the HC restrooms with automatic doors on the newer RCl ships. AB use them -- lock them and do not realize they need to make sure the lock is off before they shut. It seems like the doors outside the dining room were always locked with no one inside.

[Quampapetet]

I separate those who are genuinely mentally impaired from those who are mentally impaired in the "too dumb to think" type, such as some politicians, some teenagers, etc. Perhaps the English language requires a separate word, but certainly I hope people can distinguish and laugh at what I intended. Otherwise we'll get bogged down in semantics.

 

Words like "stupid", "ignorant", "dumb", etc. work just fine for those folks. :)

[Quampapetet]

At this time, a witch with a stroller literally has a royal FIT because someone is in the HC and she wants/needs it to park the stroller & kids in. She went on & on about how she "had" to have it to other patrons all due to the stroller, not a HC.

 

Oh, you didn't know? Having kids is now a handicap! :rolleyes: :mad:

 

In one state I heard about a proposed law to hand over a fine to anybody who did not clean the snow/ice from the roofs of their vehicles. So, I wrote to the senator or whoever it was that was proposing/supporting the law and told her I hoped physically disabled ppl would be exempt, as it would be hard or impossible for them to do this (think of somebody in a w/c who drives a w/c accessible van!). You know what she wrote back? That there was no problem there because the winter before she had been pregnant and was fully able to clean her car's roof off! :eek: Yeah, 'cause being pregnant is the same as somebody who, I dunno, is, say, paraplegic! :rolleyes:

[Queenie2]

The thing that gets me is the HC restrooms with automatic doors on the newer RCl ships. AB use them -- lock them and do not realize they need to make sure the lock is off before they shut. It seems like the doors outside the dining room were always locked with no one inside.

 

And don't forget to lock them when you are inside either. A friend used one and didn't realize it had to be locked. Well, some of her friends were waiting outside for her and one decided to push the automatic button to see what happened. Ta Da -- it's showtime:) Problem with the automatic door is that it stays open for a long time; and I'm told it seems much longer when your pants are around your ankles and people are passing by outside.

 

As for me, I agree that accessible toilets are not for the *exclusive* use of disabled people. If you gotta go, you gotta go. We all should expect at least a cursory wait at public toilets, after all they are public. But I have to say that if it's not an emergency I've have let those in dire need (like the 3 year old who was ready to "pee her pants") go in front of me. If it's empy and you are next in line, use it. If there's someone waiting specifically for it, don't question their disability, and if you need it, then get in line behind them. Rarely have I seen a line for the accessible stall in any restroom.

 

Candy

[CC Help Michell]

Having just returned from a cruise, I was disgusted with the number of non-disabled using washrooms designed for the disabled to use.

 

Please don't use a washroom or stall built for the disabled. We need them.... often desperately!

 

You have your own facilities... we need ours.

 

Thank you.

 

Wow. I hadn't thought of this being an issue until I happened on this thread. I have no visible impairment, but in public facilities I find a handicapped stall takes me much less time and effort, and is more comfortable than a regular one (you don't need to know more). So who is "we" and who is "you" and who is "them" and who is "us?" Perhaps you should re-examine your own attitude?

[Hebe]

I have no problem with non-handicap people using the handicap BR if there is no other available. I have seen people who are in line let us get to the front when one becomes available. But then it may be because I am taking my husband to the ladies room and they want him out fast ;)

 

Anyone else have to take their husband to the ladies room?? I kind act now like I did not notice it is really the ladies room or I tell him to cover his eyes which normally gets a laugh. But it does make people take a double look.

[Quampapetet]

And don't forget to lock them when you are inside either. A friend used one and didn't realize it had to be locked. Well, some of her friends were waiting outside for her and one decided to push the automatic button to see what happened. Ta Da -- it's showtime:) Problem with the automatic door is that it stays open for a long time; and I'm told it seems much longer when your pants are around your ankles and people are passing by outside.

 

Oh my!!!! :eek: :o

[klauer]

Wow, I don't think I've ever been in a ladies' room when a woman brought her husband in, or even her son who was more than a few years old. That must be really tough for both of you.

[dakwriter]

How on earth does a larger stall make it easier to put makeup on then, I dunno, say the mirror over the sink(s)?! :rolleyes: Some ppl don't get it!

I figure it's probably more comfortable, not easier. Comfortable in the sense that no one else was watching and she felt she could take her time in the HC stall that has its own sink and mirror above it instead of hovering over a more public sink outside the HC stall. As we all know, lots of restaurant facilities may only have one or two "public" sinks with mirrors. Regardless, the "apology" I got certainly wasn't heartfelt, more dismissive by nature, as in "You were waiting? Oh, too bad, but I had a good reason for using the only stall you could use." Obviously, my interpretation is just a bit slanted against the perpetrator. It was just so difficult sitting there, in the traffic by the door, hearing her opening cases and compacts and zippered cosmetic bags while I was ready to cry from needing the toilet! Dang!!!!!:mad:

[Meredith22]

On my recent cruise I was dismayed by the lack of wheelchair accessible restrooms aboard the Carnival Legend. When I finally asked the purser where they were I was given a paper showing only three on the entire ship, on decks 2, 3 and 9. When I did find one of these I noted that the entrance doors were not automatic and there was only one inappropriately placed (behind my shoulder) grab bar next to the toilet.

 

Then again, wheelchair access throughout the ship was quite a problem, prompting my husband to suggest on his end of cruise comment card that the ship's captain spend a day in a wheelchair and see what it was like trying to get around. Waiting for elevators that had space for a wheelchair (a big problem due to the small size of the elevators, AB people who often cut ahead of us to get on, and parentless children who thought it fun to play on the elevators) and difficult thresholds throughout the ship were the biggest challenges.

 

Lack of space for wheelchairs in public spaces was something else. Most venues & shops had not been planned for them at all despite Carnival's written claim that "all of the public areas are wheelchair accessible." And the huge multi-level Follies Lounge, where all the big shows and meetings are held, has only 2 spaces for wheelchairs and we had to find those ourselves since the ship's crew didn't know they existed. Even then we faced challenges by AB people seated next to those spaces who didn't want to move over (despite having plenty of room to do so) in order for my husband to have a place to sit next to me. I know the HC spaces were not marked, but it seemed pretty obvious by the lack of seating by the table what they were for.

 

Amazing.:(