so called handicapped restrooms

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nic01

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Sep 17, 2005
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My mom has virtually stopped going out, and one the reasons is that the bathrooms that are labelled handicapped are really not. They might have a bar in them but they still have a low seat and little room to move around in. Does anyone else encouter this problem? Any suggestions?
It's very frustrating and make me angry that she has to put up with this.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Jennifer
 
Hi Jennifer,
My brother found this very frustrating when he could still manoevre on his own - he could never turn the handles for the handicap restrooms because they were all knobs and not the handles (he couldn't grip the knobs). And the scary thing was that he even encountered this at the ALS Clinic in Calgary. He mentioned it to them at the Hospital and asked why they wouldn't have handles instead of the knobs knowing that those with weakness in their hands couldn't open the doors and they said they didn't even think about that. The next time he went to the clinic, all the knobs had been replaced to the handles.

I know it is frustrating but I would try writing a letter to some of the establishments that she likes to visit. If she is experiencing difficulty then others might be too. I also think there might be a municipal or provincial number to call to make suggestions or complaints. I know in Ontario, we have the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and the organization in charge of it listens to complaints from citizens. By-laws about accessibility should also cover some of these things. There are avenues to address these things but sometimes just letting the establishment know about the problems might fix it - afterall, they are in the business of keeping their customers (to put it bluntly, it's in their best interest). An article in the local newspaper might help too.

Not sure if this is what you were looking for but I hope it helps.
 
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