I wrote a piece not too long ago about disabled toilets. I may not have been as clear on the subject as I thought I was .
IF YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY READ THE ARTICLE IT IS AVAILABLE HERE
The piece itself has been shared a few times and each time in the comments section I am accused of not seeing invisible disabilities; which for those who know me and read about Ethan regularly is ironic.
The piece was not about the use of the toilets even though I did mention that the disabled toilets can be abused by the general public, I stand by that; the disabled toilets are misused by all walks of life.
But that’s not my point. My point is this, A disabled toilet should include the correct equipment for those with physical disabilities who use these toilets . Such as an adult size changing bench and a hoist . A pull down bench which can be adjusted according to the height of the child who needs it.
Currently there are handrails which are good and baby benches in most of the disabled toilets I have used. Baby benches?
Why, because our government don’t care that a mother of a young baby has nowhere else to change her child , so they will add a baby changing bench to the disabled toilets. The mother isn’t in the wrong here, the government are. Our government put disabled toilets in place but never really asked those with physical disabilities what is needed in these toilets.
Because of a baby bench being in most of these toilets, I will end up having to change my son on the dirty public toilet floor. That is not right. Our government cannot and will not listen to what parents and adults with physical disabilities need in a public disabled toilet in order to keep their own dignity. Why should I have to lay my son on a floor to change him? It is not ok. It is not acceptable .
Why don’t security run groups of teenagers from the disabled toilets when they see five going into one? ( if you read my previous piece you’ll understand this reference). I am the one to clean up all the makeup and sweet wrappers and water all over the floor before I can begin to use the toilet with my son, and often, far more disgusting things.
Our disabled toilets are a joke here in Ireland. They are inadequate, dirty, abused with an attitude of “well, at least we have a disabled toilet”. Not good enough Ireland and not good enough from our Irish government.
Let me be very clear, this is not about hidden disabilities or parents using the toilets because there are no family toilets, this is about the lack of equipment within the toilets themselves.
For more information about changes that need to be made please have a read Here
This was originally published on FamilyFriendlyHQ