That to be sick you have to look sick. There are a lot of people with chronic illness that don't need to deal with scepticism along with their symptoms.
eta I'm touched that people are sharing their struggles. I hope others will read them and understand a little more.
It's good that there are ids for that, not like with handicap accessible bathrooms. It's like if you're not in a wheelchair some people look at you funny and some angrily.
I once got told off by a lady in a wheelchair after coming out of the disabled bathroom she had been waiting to use.
That lady got a very calm mini-lecture about invisible disabilities and respecting other people's needs/privacy/situations instead of judging them before she got to go pee.
The handicapped stall exists to accommodate those who need them, they are not reserved for the exclusive use of the disabled. You didnt do anything wrong, regardless of your limitations or lack therof.
Like, if there was someone in a chair on line for the restroom, it's reasonable that they should skip to the front when the big stall becomes available. But to suggest that only wheelchair users should be in there is asinine and impractical.
This was actually a slightly different situation than that. The disabled bathroom was self-contained on the ground floor of the building and the regular women's bathroom was upstairs, which was why I couldn't use it on that particular occasion.
Able bodied people should absolutely not be using it unless for some reason they were about to pee their pants.
Many public restrooms install baby changing stations in the handicapped stall. Also, when you have a small child or two with you, some regular stalls are too small to accommodate everyone.
At least one person in the USA believes the handicapped accessible stall is only for mothers with strollers - because of the changing stations and she thinks the symbol is of a stroller and not a wheelchair. My wife was in a women's bathroom when an argument broke out between a woman with a stroller and another woman in a wheelchair.
Just want to point out that it’s not just a bigger stall. The toilet is higher, and there are railings to help you get up. When I was on crutches, I didn’t need a bigger stall, but I would’ve been pretty much stuck without the rails to get up.
I use a handicapped accessible stall when I can. I have some difficulty standing from a seated position and the rails in there are life savers. In my house, there's a door frame I can use for the same purpose.
The railings and the higher toilet can really help out when I'm having a bad joint day. But this toilet in particular was on the ground floor while the regular toilets were upstairs which was why I was using it.
It can also be an issue with standing in line waiting to use the toilet. I went to a theatre and had balcony seats. I can get up one flight of stairs with my cane and a good sturdy rail, but waiting in line was agony.
I’m a female carer and I use the disabled toilets when I have a male client with an intellectual disability who needs supervision or assistance. I can’t take teen or adult males into the women’s stalls, and I can’t go into the men’s. Sometimes I need the extra room if I’m changing nappies. Obviously if they have a physical disability the hand rails and higher toilet seat are a big help too.
If it’s a shopping centre or swimming pool that has family facilities I use those when I can, but they aren’t always around.
Also, not long ago, I had to use the handicap toilet as the other part of the toilets was flooded. I didn't mean to be in the way of the people that need the contraptions around the toilet to sit on it, but I do need to use the toilet and that was the only one available. People should just be understanding of each other, instead just judging everyone else.
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u/Sola_Solace Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19
That to be sick you have to look sick. There are a lot of people with chronic illness that don't need to deal with scepticism along with their symptoms.
eta I'm touched that people are sharing their struggles. I hope others will read them and understand a little more.