Is it fair that disabled shower and toilet facilities are used by people who can obviously use normal facilities so that people in wheel chairs do not have to endure lengthy delays in using the facilities During a recent visit to a Spanish campsite a English gentleman spent over 3o minutes in the disabled facilities and when challenged was aggressive and said he was in possession of a blue badge and it was his right to use the facilities!
Disabled Facilities
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he may have a valid point, How does one define "disabled"? My wife was in possession of a "blue badge", and had various problems which were not obviously apparent, and used the disabled facilities on sites when it was difficult to use the regular washrooms.
You don't necessarily have to be in a wheelchair to qualify! :frown2:
You don't necessarily have to be in a wheelchair to qualify! :frown2:
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so in that case it's not fair! How was he "found out"?
but I will still make the point that a disability may not be immediately apparent....
but I will still make the point that a disability may not be immediately apparent....
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just my view but if there's a disabled facility surely that means its usable by the disabled but not exclusively for them 100 % of the time, for example if there are no disabled on the site should everyone queue for the non disabled facility' s while the disabled one stands empty. if there are disabled who cant use the normal facility's then yes i agree they should take priority.
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We have a special needs daughter who qualifies for a Blue Badge for various reasons, when she was younger she would get out of the car and tear along for about 50m as if she had no problems...... we used to hear many comments about "abuse of a blue badge", the same people then saw her tri and fall and not be able to get up and walk, her medical condition resulted in a chemical gap between the nerves and the muscles which was not capable of being bridged, so that after about 50m she had run out of the important chemical.......
Her school were made aware of it yet tried to encourage her to walk around the field a couple of times...... "just to keep her fit".....
they only did it once as she was totally unable to move for many hours and an ambulance had to be called to transport her to hospital where she was helped to recover over a 48 hour period.....
So she LOOKED perfectly OK, but if anyone watched for a little while they would see her crumble into her disability and not be able to recover.....
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER - or a persons disability by an instant observation, you may well be totally wrong........
She used to use the disabled showers (under supervision) although she always showered sitting down........ but of course walked out from the shower.........
of course, a "disabled shower" does not exist (and would be useless if it did as a disabled shower would not work) but a shower with adaptations to make it more suitable for ta disabled person may be used by others, different forms of disability require different adaptations; written instructions are of no use to a person who cannot see, a hand held shower is useless for a person who cannot grip something, a shower tray with step is useless for a person in a wheelchair and so on.....
Sadly, many people do not respond well to being challenged, but that may a reflection of the way that the challenge was made.....
Dave
Her school were made aware of it yet tried to encourage her to walk around the field a couple of times...... "just to keep her fit".....
they only did it once as she was totally unable to move for many hours and an ambulance had to be called to transport her to hospital where she was helped to recover over a 48 hour period.....
So she LOOKED perfectly OK, but if anyone watched for a little while they would see her crumble into her disability and not be able to recover.....
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER - or a persons disability by an instant observation, you may well be totally wrong........
She used to use the disabled showers (under supervision) although she always showered sitting down........ but of course walked out from the shower.........
of course, a "disabled shower" does not exist (and would be useless if it did as a disabled shower would not work) but a shower with adaptations to make it more suitable for ta disabled person may be used by others, different forms of disability require different adaptations; written instructions are of no use to a person who cannot see, a hand held shower is useless for a person who cannot grip something, a shower tray with step is useless for a person in a wheelchair and so on.....
Sadly, many people do not respond well to being challenged, but that may a reflection of the way that the challenge was made.....
Dave
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2,480 Posts
I have used the 'disabled' shower on a campsite because it was the only one where the shower head could be detached and used in my hand. This helped me to avoid getting water in the eye where I had just had a corneal graft. There are all sorts of reasons why people might feel justified in using the the facilities of a 'disabled' shower, and often these will not be apparent to others. My son-in-law, not long before he died of pancreatic cancer, was challenged for using a 'disabled' parking space to which he was entitled. Presumably the challenge was based on the assumption that because he was young, and didn't have a stick or a wheelchair, he must be OK. Never assume.
Chris
Chris
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Much as I agree with many of your comments. The facilities are there for all persons to use, but it is adapted for when a disabled person needs it, as they cannot use an ordinary facility.
Many small establishments only have one toilet, this is made as a disabled one so that all can use it.
cabby
Many small establishments only have one toilet, this is made as a disabled one so that all can use it.
cabby
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940 Posts
If campsites would only provide more proper disabled facilities the problem would disappear! I agree that disabled does not = wheelchair user, the disability may not be obvious.
I have seen disabled showers that had handrails, but only a fixed overhead shower and no seat! Presumably wheelchair users soak the wheelchair as well as themselves, but cannot wash their bums!
I have sciatica, and have to be careful how I twist my body so as not to induce a severe attack. Fixed overhead showers are a nightmare for me, as I cannot rinse the important bits without hurting myself. Such showers are also useless for small children.
I think all campsite showers should offer a hand held as well as fixed option. Dedicated disabled showers should also have a seat and handrails.
I have seen disabled showers that had handrails, but only a fixed overhead shower and no seat! Presumably wheelchair users soak the wheelchair as well as themselves, but cannot wash their bums!
I have sciatica, and have to be careful how I twist my body so as not to induce a severe attack. Fixed overhead showers are a nightmare for me, as I cannot rinse the important bits without hurting myself. Such showers are also useless for small children.
I think all campsite showers should offer a hand held as well as fixed option. Dedicated disabled showers should also have a seat and handrails.
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When my wife walks she looks as if she is drunk.>
Notwithstanding the fact that sometimes she isgrin2 she actually has MS and needs me to hold on to or use a stick. If its bad we have both a travel wheelchair and a full wheelchair. The MS Society do a nice line in "I'm not drunk I have MS" T shirts and caps which I'm trying to persuade her to get>. We have a blue badge and do get looks sometimes as she doesn't always need her wheelchair. My son waves it at people who look for too long:smile2:.
We also found that when we were out and about in a nice car (we have been fortunate to own one or two over the years) especially a convertible, some people had a real issue with that: it appeared that you couldn't be disabled AND own a nice car!:wink2:
She doesn't use the facilities on site as a general rule which is fine by both of us as I don't use the on board facilities.
The issue with having general access to disabled facilities is that if they are being used by an able bodied person then the disabled person(s) have to wait. Generally there is only one disabled facility too. In some instances it is not good for them or indeed are they able, to wait around.
It is a toughie as I can see both points of view in that it seems a waste to not use the facilities if all the others are busy.
Tough call with no real answer I think.
Graham:smile2:
Notwithstanding the fact that sometimes she is
grin2 she actually has MS and needs me to hold on to or use a stick. If its bad we have both a travel wheelchair and a full wheelchair. The MS Society do a nice line in "I'm not drunk I have MS" T shirts and caps which I'm trying to persuade her to get>. We have a blue badge and do get looks sometimes as she doesn't always need her wheelchair. My son waves it at people who look for too long:smile2:.We also found that when we were out and about in a nice car (we have been fortunate to own one or two over the years) especially a convertible, some people had a real issue with that: it appeared that you couldn't be disabled AND own a nice car!:wink2:
She doesn't use the facilities on site as a general rule which is fine by both of us as I don't use the on board facilities.
The issue with having general access to disabled facilities is that if they are being used by an able bodied person then the disabled person(s) have to wait. Generally there is only one disabled facility too. In some instances it is not good for them or indeed are they able, to wait around.
It is a toughie as I can see both points of view in that it seems a waste to not use the facilities if all the others are busy.
Tough call with no real answer I think.
Graham:smile2:
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I tend not be "Sniffy" about all things like this, disabled folk do not want to be in their predicament and try their utmost to be part of not set aside from everybody else, they do not wear their blus badge with pride and have it as a right of passage, and given a choice would let anybody in need use any facility that is adapted for disabled persons if needed and not being used, exactly as we would let or help anybody who is disabled in any way we can...
Every public toilet in our local Hospitals are disabled toilets, for everybody to use..
Do not judge lest you be judged.. We only have your side as you put it..
ray
Every public toilet in our local Hospitals are disabled toilets, for everybody to use..
Do not judge lest you be judged.. We only have your side as you put it..
ray
A related problem which I don't think has been mentioned is that some sites advertise that they have disabled facilities but it turns out that these are located within the gender-specific toilet areas so that effectively rules out any disabled person who is unable to wash/shower without comprehensive assistance from their spouse/partner/carer of the opposite sex.
I know that on some continental sites it is commonplace to see people using the 'wrong' toilet areas and it's possible that you could get away with walking into the 'wrong' area with your partner but it's an additional complication.
Phil
I know that on some continental sites it is commonplace to see people using the 'wrong' toilet areas and it's possible that you could get away with walking into the 'wrong' area with your partner but it's an additional complication.
Phil
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384 Posts
This is a very good point. As the carer for my 92 year-old mother, we often find that there is no uni-sex disabled toilet. Not just on sites but generally in public areas.
Currently, because my mum has a broken arm, I can't actually get her out of the mh on my own and would need help to lift her out. I would of course have to do it in an emergency. She weighs only 48 kgs so it's possible but the habitation door is only 20 inches wide.
I have made a ramp to use through the hab door and I'm waiting to pick up an evac chair which appears to be narrow enough so I can wheel her down the ramp. Once outside, she can transfer to her wheelchair or she can walk with assistance.
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