Whinge Re: restrooms

[OneLittleSpark]

OK, I just need to have a little whinge to people who will understand. I've just come back from a trip to the World which was, as always, wonderful. Of course there were the idiots who walked straight in front of my chair, stopped on downhill slopes in front of me and glared at me for delaying their bus journey by all of two minutes because I needed the ramp / lift, but we expected all that. One thing I didn't expect were the problems at the restrooms.

On previous trips I've been able to park my chair up in a corner of the restroom and hobble into a normal stall. However this trip, the joints are worse and even that distance of walking would shorten the amount of time I could spend in the parks, so I decided to use the disabled stall. I was amazed at the number of people who thought that this nice big stall was built just for them! I think the only thing rarer than finding the stall unoccupied was finding another wheelchair user in it!

I am not for one minute trying to judge who is 'deserving' and who isn't, I understand that not everyone with a disability has a big sign stating this fact across their chest. I do not, however, think that all of those people would have problems using one of the other 20 unoccupied cubicles in that restroom, rather than the only one that I could use.

I think the 'finest' moment may have been when two women and their children walked straight into the disabled cubicle ahead of me (one of them even looked straight at me but didn't say anything) and made me wait for ten minutes while they changed their children out of their princess dresses. They then breezed straight passed me without any acknowledgment to the fact that I'd been waiting!

A lot of the time I could have used the companion restrooms, but didn't feel I had any more right to use them than the able-bodied people did to use the disabled stall.

I hope nobody takes offense at this post (other than, perhaps those ignorant people who use the disabled stall when they don't need to, but I doubt they're reading this); if you need to use the disabled stall and you're ahead of me, I will happily wait!

Sorry if this is garbled, I'm still laden with jet-lag, I just wanted to post this up today.

Thanks for listening!

 

[SueM in MN]

A lot of the time I could have used the companion restrooms, but didn't feel I had any more right to use them than the able-bodied people did to use the disabled stall.

You will find the same thing in the Companion Restrooms. People use them all the time as a big stall for changing their children out of their princess outfits.

We have also had the experience of people running ahead of us to use the accessible stall.
While you can't tell who is using it because they need the garb bars, raised seat toilets, etc. if someone rushes her kids into the stall, directing them to "go in there before the girl in the wheelchair gets there" and when the kids protest, saying "we need to change into our pants and sweatshirts so we don't get cold for Illuminations" you kind of have a feeling that they could use another stall.
(By the way, that family had 3 kids who changed, which meant they got out in time for Illuminations, but we did not).

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Grrr to the people who pushed in front of you! Do they think that that blue sign with a picture of someone in a wheelchair on it is just for decoration?!

I've found that Disney are actually very good at providing a second, regular sized, stall with grab bars in many restrooms. This means that those with mobility problems can have one grab bar on either side. Only problem is, they never sign these, so a lot of people who could benefit from them don't know they're there.

 

[maxiesmom]

You will find the same thing in the Companion Restrooms. People use them all the time as a big stall for changing their children out of their princess outfits.

We have also had the experience of people running ahead of us to use the accessible stall.
While you can't tell who is using it because they need the garb bars, raised seat toilets, etc. if someone rushes her kids into the stall, directing them to "go in there before the girl in the wheelchair gets there" and when the kids protest, saying "we need to change into our pants and sweatshirts so we don't get cold for Illuminations" you kind of have a feeling that they could use another stall.
(By the way, that family had 3 kids who changed, which meant they got out in time for Illuminations, but we did not).

I will agree with you that the above is rude, and I would never take the larger stall for myself if I saw you in line, I will use it if there is no one in line who is in a chair/scooter. That stall is not meant to be left empty just for people in wheelchairs or scooters, like a parking spot is. Hopefully you don't think the rest of us should wait in line while no one uses it.

Again, if I were in line and could see that you needed it, I would let you have it. To purposely cut in front of anyone who you can see needs it is horribly rude. But it is silly to leave it empty otherwise.

 

[FranP]

I don't think there are any stalls like this in WDW, but I have seen some here in New Jersey that, in addition to being the stall for the handicapped, come equipped with the baby-changing table (the only one in the restroom). So, the occasion could arise that I could be in that stall changing my grandson's diapers while someone in a wheelchair would be forced to wait. Obviously, not my fault, but I don't think it is right to make that person wait while I change a baby's diaper.

 

[mamaminnie]

I have to apologize-- I've never thought twice about taking 2 kids into a handicapped stall or family restroom with me.

Of course I've never pushed ahead of anyone in a wheelchair/ECV, but if you had to wait because of us, I apologize.

 

[Haley Whippet]

What I would like to know is a Companion/Family Restroom for handicapped or for a family? A mom with 2 or 3 kids? A Dad with his daughter? a person that is handicapped with a attendant?I think these things need to be defined to help everyone and it should be posted.
I used one once driving my ECV right inside. While exiting a woman with her daughter (Waiting to change out of her princess dress) were knocking on the door... Thats one thing I don't think that room was ment for..
What about this info?
http://allearsnet.com/pl/restrooms.htm
Deb

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Personally I think it would be great if they had a washroom attendant like the OLD days LOL, that could direct people in these situations.

 

[BroganMc]

This is as familiar a refrain to me as car drivers parking in the one van-accessible HA spot leaving us van drivers SOL. It's a misunderstanding of the needs requiring such an accommodation.

The HA stall is meant to:

A) Allow a wheelchair to be driven inside and parked alongside the commode for slide transfers.
B) Allow for a companion to enter the stall and assist with transfers & hygiene.
C) Have a higher seat commode to assist with transfers.
D) Have a private sink to assist with companion-aided or delicate hygiene issues you can't attend to in the public eye.
E) Have grab bars meant to assist with transfers.

Now not all HA stalls fit these requirements. The worst ones for me are only large enough to drive a wheelchair in straight. It's ok if you can reach around and pull the door closed or take a step to do a transfer. (My problem is reaching around to shut the out-swinging door.)

I absolutely cannot use a regular stall due to the low commode and lack of grab bars. (I can get down but not back up.) So I've learned to deal with the non-HA users of "my" stalls.

I always wait right outside the HA stall, even if there's a line for the bathroom in general. Other patrons have 10-20 stalls they can use and I have only one. I make sure my wheels are visible under the door of the HA stall so patrons inside can see there's a need. (I don't knock or otherwise pressure the occupant.) And I either use the bathroom when I first feel the need or will leave to find a less crowded restroom. (I've been known to traverse the park for a lesser known bathroom. Usually at my breakneck 4.5 mph pace so I don't take forever.)

There's no way to keep non-HA folks from using the stalls or companion restrooms. I'd just hope that patrons consider the one person outside who can only use that particular stall. Please don't dally and don't let your kids dally. Wash your hands outside like everyone else and above all else, leave the restroom clean! I can't tell you how many times I've had to clean a commode a little kid peed all over.

True Anecdote of the day: This happened at my local county fair in August. I waited for the one HA stall with an attendant on duty. Inside was a mother and her 6-7 year old son she was trying to get to relieve himself. The attendant and I waited 5 minutes as this debate went on. The kid saying he didn't have to go and the mom insisting he did. She wouldn't let him leave. The attendant knocked on the stall to tell them a wheelchair-user was waiting. Another 5 minutes passed. More wailing and arguing between the two. Finally the mom stepped out of the stall, saw me and got on her cell phone to call reinforcements. Yes, she wanted her husband to come to the stall and sit with the kid until he peed. Seeing that this would stretch on for another half hour I finally spoke up and explained to the mom that I could not use another stall and really needed to. Then she finally noticed I was there and got her son out of there. The attendant and I just looked at each other and rolled our eyes. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how this mom was going to force her son to relieve himself. I kinda thought that was a biology issue.

As for van-accessible parking spots, keep in mind they are that wide so that drivers can deploy a side ramp (on the passenger side) and exit/enter the vehicle. Using that spot for a car means the van driver must go somewhere else to ensure they can exit and re-enter their vehicle. For me that usually means parking at the most distant edge of a parking lot next to a barrier in hopes no ablebodied driver would want to walk the extra distance. Not fun when it's cold or rainy or dark.

 

[Michigan]

What I would like to know is a Companion/Family Restroom for handicapped or for a family? A mom with 2 or 3 kids? A Dad with his daughter? a person that is handicapped with a attendant?I think these things need to be defined to help everyone and it should be posted.
I used one once driving my ECV right inside. While exiting a woman with her daughter (Waiting to change out of her princess dress) were knocking on the door... Thats one thing I don't think that room was ment for..
What about this info?
http://allearsnet.com/pl/restrooms.htm
Deb

They are for use by the handicap and someone needing a companion in the bathroom like a dad traveling with a young daughter. We always use them at WDW because both girls can get their chairs in at once. They have mitrofanoffs which is a small stoma in their stomach that they do self caths through so they cath in a bottle while I use the toilet then they dump the bottles and we are out in less then 5 minutes. If we used the other restrooms each girls would have to wait and go in the handicap stall and that would take forever.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Maxiesmom, I'm sure no one here would complain about you using the HA stall if it's the only one available, my problem is with the people who use the HA stall over the 20 other unoccupied stalls that they could use just as easily (again, not trying to diagnose invisible disabilities, I understand some people need the bars who don't use a chair).

Another thing that annoys me is the number of people who rattle the door while your using the HA stall. "OK dear, you go and check that nice big stall at the end" rattle rattle rattle "Is it taken? Here let me try" rattle rattle "Hmmm.... I can see some wheels under the door, but I'll try again, just for good measure" rattle rattle rattle (OK, I confess, that's not a direct quotation, but it's pretty much the attitude).

I accept that their are exceptional circumstances (for instance if you have two or three recently potty trained children) where you might need the extra space, but I think that if your child is going to school, where they will be using the bathroom alone, they do not need you in the stall with them at WDW (I know this is a very broad sweeping statement and doesn't cover those children with disabilities or other difficulties). At one point when I was queueing for the HA stall (yet again), a twenty something year old woman in a chair and her mother rolled up. Because there was a queue for the HA one, her mother helped her out of the chair and they both squeezed into a normal one. I therefore have little sympathy with people who think they and their tiny three year-old won't fit in a normal stall (not having a go at anyone, just venting generally, please excuse me).

Sorry this post is a bit grouchy and incoherent, today just seems to be a grouchy and incoherent day, generally.