Use of disabled facilities
Comments
-
Well said, Husky.
We have seen some discriminatory comments demonstrating a complete lack of understanding and consideration, and your words make a welcome change. 👍
1 -
While the thread is still open, can I say that I think that what is less than able is not our fellow humans, but the facilities provided.
0 -
Do you think so, Nav?
I find them completely satisfactory but, as I’ve said, I’m not one with a visible disability so maybe wheelchair users, for example, have a different view.
2 -
I think in the majority of instances a wheelchair users would have access problems hence the dedicated room found I think on all cc sites at least, I was in a wheelchair for just over 6 months ,our caravan was brought to site by friends, to enable us to continue to use it, I had far more problems useing the caravan than the site facilties which did give OH a brief respite from the problems of me useing the facilties at home,and I now find that depending on how I feel there is both types of facility available when away,and I know that what ever cc site we use I can cope which we have found is not so elsewhere
0 -
Just as an aside from the letter debate, we have used some excellent small private sites, ex CL in some cases, that have had superb wet rooms designed as part of the ablutions blocks. Spacious, easy to use, lots of different aids, including showering chairs, stools etc..... Good to know they are inclusive sites.
The only time we have used the loo designed for disabled is when the main toilet blocks have been closed for cleaning on Club Sites, and I understand this is what the Club expects folks to do. The modified shower cubicles in the main block are usually just that......tiny bit bigger, door might open out rather than in, couple of hand rails, a shower stool and a flexible rather than fixed shower head. (During a week spent on Yellowcraig one school holiday week, two flexible shower heads disappeared, stolen. Says it all really.)
Its really got nothing to do with anyone else which loo a person chooses to use. Those who think it has perhaps are way out of date in terms of disability discrimination, and might find themselves on the wrong side of the law if they choose to make an issue and want to challenge someone. There are still a lot of companies with a lot of catching up to do in terms of access for those with special needs. The Club does its best with old sites and old ablutions facilities, and no doubt would be happy to discuss, in private, if a visitor needed a bit more help. It sounds like some of the visiting members could do with a course on discrimination if the letter is an example of who is using sites!
2 -
I recently joined the IBS Network. I received a “Can’t wait” card, and was able to purchase a Radar key from them (to my surprise). I’ve suffered with IBS-D since my teenage years, now in my late fifties, and there’s been countless times when I’ve needed a toilet in a hurry, and there being none available. Knowing I could use a disabled access toilet, in desperate circumstances, is a great relief as anxiety about not having access to a toilet exacerbates the problem, and sometimes there’s a disabled toilet, but no general ones (some railway stations, for example) where I’ve been known to plead with staff to let me use it. It’s a vicious circle and sometimes I’m all ready to go out, then have to change my plans at the last minute/cancel, because my symptoms occur.
I’ll always use ordinary facilities, if available, but I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to know that I have this to fall back on. Just an example of a hidden need.
4 -
Thank you for sharing BG, as you rightly point out, sometimes needs are not obvious. Good for you
2 -
Said a couple of times on this thread but yes, not all disabilities are visible, and sometimes people have temporarily conditions. I put three discs out in my back a few years ago (putting the awning up and doing the classic bending and twisting). 9 months of agony but ironically the only pain free time was when stood upright and walking. Anyone seeing me walk into the block would have thought I was fine but was far from it!
Thankfully im ok now, but I don’t make assumptions about people’s conditions, although having read the letter the writer does make the point that the person admitted they were not disabled. However I don’t think the writer should really have been having that conversation. I would have been extremely cross to have to justify myself when I was suffering enough!
1 -
I really do think you are missing the point.
The I am more disabled, deserving, need, arguments just dont hold water, there is no national grading of disability. Nobody has the right to question any other persons use of their chosen facility. I accept this may be through need or just pure selfish reasons but they have the right to pee wherever they want, they have paid their site fees and are therefore entitled to equal use of the facilities.
Aiming anger at someone who you have judged less deserving of the facilities is wrong and discriminatory.
I accept the people have many and varied needs but this does not extend the right to reserved bathroom facilities.
The issue is not the use of certain bathrooms or who is entitled to a key but is the result of poor availability of facilities for all to use.
If you have to wait or can not get use of an appropriate facility then complain to the site. Give them a poor review, insist on speaking the management, and explain this to them. If you are booking a site then ask how many adapted facilities they have, if its one for 200 pitches then tell them you wont be booking and why.
It is a sad reality the whilst legislation say these facilities must be provided it does not insist on a general uplift of specification.
I have been a few sites where all the facilities were adapted for use by all, this should be the target.
0 -
Utilisation of any type of facility is subject to the constraint of "when you gotta go, you gotta go". Subtleties of political correctness often take second place in such circumstances.
0 -
My OH can walk to and from the toilet block no problem, but he has a radar key and he needs access to a cubicle with toilet and washing facilities. I don't propose to expand on why on here, but I thought the mag letter writer was blinkered in thinking what constitutes a disability. I am glad to see that now most disabled cubicles carry the sign that not all disabilities are visible.
4 -
I see I did not use enough words in my earlier post to make my point clear. I contend that ALL the facilities on site should be to a design and construction that makes them suited to all persons, whether they bring a disability with them or not.
Fancy finishes and scrupliously clean does not get past the idiocy of the design with different facilities in seperate small cupboards. To complete the "Three Ss" requires three different boxes, none of which have a decent amount of space. The "disabled" facilities that I have looked into have equipment for all three functions in the same area, and probably occupy about the same amount of floor space overall.
They are also (generally) non-gendered. Seperate public toilets is somthing that is based on social conditioning, not on meeting needs. I do not have seperate male and female toilets in my home - and probably neither do you. Some sites have installed unisex toilets that are equiped with all three facilities in the same room, and they seem to be used without difficulty by persons of all genders and abilities.
0 -
some people have bowel props and need disabled toilet
0 -
The vast majority of disabled facilities appear to be unisex. Sometimes it is necessary for partners of the opposite sex, or same, also need to enter to assist. I see no physical reason why all facilities could not be designed appropriately to accommodate us all.
0 -
Since this post started three years ago I have now got a clinical condition that requires the use of the full disabled room. I don't look disabled, I could run to the loo but it's the procedure that I need to carry out that requires the space and conditions of a disabled facility. So as no doubt will have been mentioned before, you don't need to be physically disabled to need that facility.
1
