In trying to decide which disability news story to write about this week, I realized I didn't really have much to say about most of them. Honestly, the one I have the most to say about is this one about the lack of accessible public restrooms in Ballina, Ireland. Ah, yes, a toilet story. ![[giggle]](http://www.confoozled.com/smilies/icon-o-matic/comments/02-giggle.png)
To an outsider it may seem like I'm strangely obsessed with bathrooms. It's something that's constantly on my mind when planning whether to go out, where to go, and how long I can stay. It wasn't such an issue when I was younger and almost always had a female family member with me when I went anywhere. If it wasn't my mom, it was one of my three sisters... and oh yes, they were all fully trained in taking me to the bathroom. But now I spend most of my time out in public with Chris, and well, he can't exactly walk into a ladies' room with me.
Early on in our relationship, it was all about the "family" restrooms. We kept a database in our heads of the unisex toilets in the areas we frequented. We knew which malls had them, and we had our last minute gas station in Gresham just before the hour long drive back to Hood River. When we moved to Rhode Island, they became much harder to find. Fortunately, we no longer had to drive an hour away from home to find anything to do, so if all else failed we could make a stop back at home or at Chris' parents' house.
Things did get better when I finally figured out how to get my pants up and down without the need for wall-mounted assistive technology (technology which is not very portable), in the right conditions. And that's the catch that still remains. I can now walk into a women's restroom and use it independently, but the conditions have to be right. I need a sink or grab bar at the right height to support my hand so that I can hook it into my waistband. The toilet must be at the elevated ADA-approved height; my knees cannot lift me from a lower toilet. The toilet paper dispenser must be low and close enough for my short arms to reach, and it has to be open - not one of those covered ones where you have to reach your fingers up inside from the bottom - because my fingers point in one direction only and that direction is down. And the soap, paper towel dispenser and/or hand dryer need to be at the right height, since I can't lift my arms much higher than my stomach. Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing: I need to be able to lock the stall or door.
So yes, anytime I'm in a public establishment and use the restroom, I'm conscious of all these things. And I usually have plenty of commentary when I come out, because I have yet to find the perfect, 100% accessible bathroom. At least one of those "rules" of accessibility is broken in every public toilet I have used to date. There are some that at first glance seem beautifully designed and well-thought out: a nice wide stall door that opens into the stall, not out... a spacious stall with ample grab bars... perfectly placed toilet paper roll... motion-triggered faucets, toilets, soap and paper towel dispensers... you really think, wow, they put a lot of thought into the accessibility, just as you fall onto the low, non-ADA-compliant toilet and realize it's going to take you twenty minutes to get back up. Or, sometimes, everything including the toilet is right, but the lock on the door is so high you can barely nudge it into place with your nose... or the entire latch is completely broken off... or you push the door shut and turn the lock, but the door can still be pushed open with one hand, without even turning the handle.
Alas, fellow gimps of Ballina. You are not alone.
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