We Need To Start an Accessible Bathroom Patrol
My biggest pet peeve since becoming disabled are inaccessible washrooms. There are 5 kinds of shitty bathrooms – I’m not talking literally.
1. The extremely heavy door without a push button opener.
These doors are so heavy that even ablebodied people have a hard time opening them. Never mind someone who is trying to negotiate the door, with a rollator or scooter and an urgent “need to go”.
These doors are everywhere, often in public spaces like community centres, subway stations and malls.
They rarely have push button openers or they are often broken. Probably because the doors are so heavy…
So why are there so many of these shitty doors on shitty bathrooms?
If anyone has insight, please be in touch.
2.The locked accessible washroom
Photo: Image of a locked accessible bathroom. Sign reads ” for access please see food court attendant or call” . What if you really have to go?
It’s just mean! Look at this photo. Get it from the food court attendant. Let’s face it, by the time you find them and come back – it will probably be too late.
3. Businesses that only have a washroom on another floor.
In general this is every restaurant and bar in downtown Toronto.
All their washrooms are in the basement.
The only thing worse than the basement bathroom is the upstairs bathroom that you have to use an -often very slow- elevator to get to.
My least favourite:
4. The perfectly accessible bathroom with a broken push button opener.
There are more of these than are acceptable for a civilized society. Perhaps even one out of every two buttons are broken. Why the charade? It makes it even worse when you think you are about to have an easy rest room experience only to discover that you are going to have to figure out how to negotiate an extra heavy door or get yourself to the “inaccessible” bathroom.
Finally, the worst…
5. The absent accessible bathroom.
On top of businesses that are rude enough to not provide a rest room to their customers, I include businesses whose restrooms are so difficult to get to – they might as well not be there. I went to a winery last summer whose rest room was at the top of a long uneven “faux rustic” unbanistered staircase.
It would be understandable if this business was in a quaint Italian village, but in a British Colombian building built in the last 14 years – unacceptable!
Sparkly Challenge for You & Me
Making restrooms accessible in as many places as possible is a small step towards making the world a better place.
When you come across a broken push button – are you guilty – as I am- of not saying anything?
My New Year’s resolution is to start reporting broken handicap push buttons and gently pointing out to businesses that have very heavy doors that it is the correct thing to do for their customers.
Accessible Design is Universal Design. There are so many invitations being turned down around the world because events are happening in buildings that say you’re not welcome here.
Having everyone come to the party is just more fun. Let’s make the world a better place, one accessible washroom at a time.