Access to disabled toilets

I have just read an interesting post on the MS Society UKwebsite regarding the use of disabled toilets.  Martin Baum is the author.

Now this I feel can be such a sticky wicket at times and one of the things I look for when I carry out assessments is whether the disabled toilets open both ways and what lock they have on them. 

These will be one of three, a standard door handle which anyone can open, a turn key lock which can be opened with a coin and a radar lock which is opened with a radar key.

These each have their own issues as pretty much anyone can gain access to them, even the radar lock key can be bought by anyone online or from their local library.  

Nowadays no one questions me why I am using a disabled toilet because most of the time I am in a wheelchair and when I aren’t I have walked the short distance with a stick.

On several occasions, I have had to wait for someone to come out of a disabled toilet to be greeted by someone who looks perfectly capable of using a standard toilet. But here lies the problem.

When greeted by a couple of giggly women coming out I am going to be more sceptical and can only assume they didn’t want to queue.

Now with the law changing to include invisible illness at what point would you challenge someone using a disabled toilet. I would say never but sometimes when you are in their company and they have been jumping about, drinking etc., you do then have to ask why they can’t queue for a standard toilet.

Sad though it is I am afraid once the signs start to go up regarding invisible illness this is then going to be open to interpretation of whether people need to use a disabled toilet or could in fact manage with a standard toilet.

I use a disabled toilet as I couldn’t possibly stand long enough to queue due to my balance issues, there are no answers to this, no right or wrong but I do believe it leaves it seriously open to abuse and because the rule is now set who is anyone to question it.

It also begs the question, will there now have to be more disabled toilets made available both in the workplace and at venues.

Food for thought I would say, and I would be interested in your own thoughts, please comment below and share for me.