It's a sad state of affairs and the government needs to do more to stop this from happening.
Though judging by the toilet at the ESA assessment place I went to on Monday (a place where they assess people with all sorts of illness and/or disabilities), I wouldn't bet on it getting sorted. The toilet roll was on the wall opposite the toilet. Okay, I could reach out and grab it, but someone with a bad back or mobility issues wouldn't have. And the hand air dryer was next to the toilet (where one would expect the toilet roll holder to be!), meaning you have to lean over the toilet and sink (that was right in the way too!) to dry your hands, the only other alternative being drying them on the toilet paper (not exactly hygenic)!
It did have one of those toilets that are higher than normal, and I think there might have been a grab rail (though I'm not positive ont that) and it did have a cord to pull if you needed help, but not really designed for people with mobility issues at all!! *despairs*
I have to wonder if they have spy cameras in the loo and if you can manage to get the toilet paper and dry your hands, then clearly you're fit enough to work!!
It's really terrible, but it's one of those 'hidden' problems. I don't think as a society we're prepared to do much about it either - disability, mental health and old age seem to be things that happen to other people. We need a massive shift in awareness... I do sometimes wonder which century we're living in.
I'm sure it's just as bad here in the states, as well, unfortunately.
I felt so horrid to read that mans account of having to crawl on the damned floor to get to an able bodied bathroom to go to. How humiliating! This is just not right at all!
They have baby changing stations and such in bathrooms in America. I think they need more handicapped bathrooms and other types of things for them. There certainly aren't enough of them, I know that much.
Actually, it seems to be one of the few things we do better here in the states. I've often been astonished at the lack of accommodations when I visit Europe--so few that I didn't even think there *was* any sort of requirement. Most restaurants seem to keep their bathrooms either up or down a set of stairs, often twisty narrow ones, sometimes without even a handrail. And I rarely see handicapped stalls of any kind
( ... )
The rail system's a joke when it comes to disabled access. If there are elevators, you won't be able to reach every platform via them* and you have to arrange ahead of time for a ramp to enable a wheelchair user to get off the train**.
*I read about a wheelchair user who has to add half an hour to his commute home. Going to work, the lift takes him to the right platform for his train. Going home, he has to travel a few stops past his station to use an accessible bridge to cross over to the other line. He catches that train back to his station so he's on the right side to use the lift.
**Tanni Grey-Thompson (a paralympian) posted about her experience of booking the ramp. The staff member and ramp never showed. She had to get down on the floor, push her wheelchair off the train, crawl onto the platform, and climb back into her wheelchair. Link.
I booked a wheelchair and ramp for my mother-in-law when coming back from a wedding in Perth a couple or so years ago (we didn't realise we could do this on the journey up and she struggled badly getting on/off the trains). At the first station, all was great. Nice staff to greet us at the entrance and get her onto the train, via a ramp
( ... )
I'm amazed, in general, by the lack of accessibility. I went to a store once that was on the second floor of a building. A sign advised that elevators could be accessed by going all the way around the building. I'm able bodied and found that complicated, because it quite a large building.
Furthermore, I do have some trouble with stairs due to balance, and while I worked out a way to get up, I had to have someone help me down because there was no railing. It was quite embarrassing. I've had that happen many times, and while I respect the desire to preserve older buildings, you have to have modern considerations. Like railings, and elevators in convenient places. (And accessible hotel bathrooms. So many hotel showers are difficult to work with when you don't have a disability.) ETA: And actually, while it mostly is older buildings I have that problem in, the building had been completely remodeled and was mostly given an older look
( ... )
All too often, the management add a grab bar and call it being compliant. That's when they don't outright ignore the issue until enough people complain.
Unfortunately for people with my level of disability, grab bars and tall toilets aren't enough. I need a hoist to physically lift me onto the toilet.
I can easily understand why the lady in the article chose surgery.
Ugh!I absolutely hate that. I was using my dad's walker today and it amazed me how differently people treated me. Some better but some worse. I've also been in a wheelchair before for a broken bone, so temporary but same deal.
A few months before I started seminary in 1996, some students broke into the main building to build a ramp. They had remodeled the building the year before to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Association guidelines, and made this handicapped accessible bathroom . . . that required going up stairs to get to it. We had students in wheelchairs. I heard about this from some people I became friends with who had been in the ninja ramp building group. The custodian was in cahoots and let them in. I totally would have done that if I had been there at the time. And I loved that they "went rogue" to build a much needed ramp. :)
I'm sorry you have to deal with stuff like that. *HUGS*
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Though judging by the toilet at the ESA assessment place I went to on Monday (a place where they assess people with all sorts of illness and/or disabilities), I wouldn't bet on it getting sorted. The toilet roll was on the wall opposite the toilet. Okay, I could reach out and grab it, but someone with a bad back or mobility issues wouldn't have. And the hand air dryer was next to the toilet (where one would expect the toilet roll holder to be!), meaning you have to lean over the toilet and sink (that was right in the way too!) to dry your hands, the only other alternative being drying them on the toilet paper (not exactly hygenic)!
It did have one of those toilets that are higher than normal, and I think there might have been a grab rail (though I'm not positive ont that) and it did have a cord to pull if you needed help, but not really designed for people with mobility issues at all!! *despairs*
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Paranoid? Moi?!
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Talk about ridiculous!
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I felt so horrid to read that mans account of having to crawl on the damned floor to get to an able bodied bathroom to go to. How humiliating! This is just not right at all!
They have baby changing stations and such in bathrooms in America. I think they need more handicapped bathrooms and other types of things for them. There certainly aren't enough of them, I know that much.
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*I read about a wheelchair user who has to add half an hour to his commute home. Going to work, the lift takes him to the right platform for his train. Going home, he has to travel a few stops past his station to use an accessible bridge to cross over to the other line. He catches that train back to his station so he's on the right side to use the lift.
**Tanni Grey-Thompson (a paralympian) posted about her experience of booking the ramp. The staff member and ramp never showed. She had to get down on the floor, push her wheelchair off the train, crawl onto the platform, and climb back into her wheelchair.
Link.
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Furthermore, I do have some trouble with stairs due to balance, and while I worked out a way to get up, I had to have someone help me down because there was no railing. It was quite embarrassing. I've had that happen many times, and while I respect the desire to preserve older buildings, you have to have modern considerations. Like railings, and elevators in convenient places. (And accessible hotel bathrooms. So many hotel showers are difficult to work with when you don't have a disability.) ETA: And actually, while it mostly is older buildings I have that problem in, the building had been completely remodeled and was mostly given an older look ( ... )
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Unfortunately for people with my level of disability, grab bars and tall toilets aren't enough. I need a hoist to physically lift me onto the toilet.
I can easily understand why the lady in the article chose surgery.
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A few months before I started seminary in 1996, some students broke into the main building to build a ramp. They had remodeled the building the year before to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Association guidelines, and made this handicapped accessible bathroom . . . that required going up stairs to get to it. We had students in wheelchairs. I heard about this from some people I became friends with who had been in the ninja ramp building group. The custodian was in cahoots and let them in. I totally would have done that if I had been there at the time. And I loved that they "went rogue" to build a much needed ramp. :)
I'm sorry you have to deal with stuff like that. *HUGS*
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Seriously... "There's our disabled adapted bathroom - right up those stairs!" How ridiculous!
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