Disabled restrooms

blondietink

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
I saw online that a couple of families visiting WDW from Europe wrote to Disney expressing their disappointment at the poor setup in the disabled restrooms. Apparently it was quite a shock compared to what they have available in Europe. Anybody else see this?

I tend to agree with them, especially for those of us who have adult children the require assistance in the restrooms. While on a layover in Phoenix, I took my son to the restroom there and wow! Why aren't these available all over, especially in WDW/DL? It would make my life so much easier as well as my sons. Unfortunately, I can't get the picture to load here, but the restroom had a full twin size changing bed, elevated toilet, a shower, sink that a wheelchair could fit under and overall it was huge!
 
do you really think a shower would be a good idea to have in the theme park bathroom? I know there are times that it would be a good thing but I can see the average Joe using it because well it is there. I think it would be nice for bigger changing tables that were accessible thought out the park and not just at first aid
 
It would be wonderful to have such nice facilities in the US. Unfortunately, too many people would abuse it. Maybe Europeans are not as entitled and self important as many Americans are anymore. I love my country, but the behavior of so many of us these days is appalling. The shower, especially, would be asking for trouble. The full size changing table would be nice, though.

Even with signs prohibiting use by any non-disabled person wouldn't help in this country. People would use them anyway and, if confronted, would claim to have a disability and probably sue for discrimination. :headache:
 
It would be wonderful to have such nice facilities in the US. Unfortunately, too many people would abuse it. Maybe Europeans are not as entitled and self important as many Americans are anymore. I love my country, but the behavior of so many of us these days is appalling. The shower, especially, would be asking for trouble. The full size changing table would be nice, though.

Even with signs prohibiting use by any non-disabled person wouldn't help in this country. People would use them anyway and, if confronted, would claim to have a disability and probably sue for discrimination. :headache:
That actually seems to be part of the issue. In the US, we have the ability to keep our medical conditions private. No one needs to know my medical condition and quite honestly, no one needs to know why I need to use handicap stall. Or shower if one was available.
 
I saw online that a couple of families visiting WDW from Europe wrote to Disney expressing their disappointment at the poor setup in the disabled restrooms. Apparently it was quite a shock compared to what they have available in Europe. Anybody else see this?

I tend to agree with them, especially for those of us who have adult children the require assistance in the restrooms. While on a layover in Phoenix, I took my son to the restroom there and wow! Why aren't these available all over, especially in WDW/DL? It would make my life so much easier as well as my sons. Unfortunately, I can't get the picture to load here, but the restroom had a full twin size changing bed, elevated toilet, a shower, sink that a wheelchair could fit under and overall it was huge!
I saw the article you are referring to, and the specific issue that family had was the lack of a lift system to hoist someone up to allow them to get undressed and onto the toilet without another person manually lifting them up. I can see how these would be beneficial in a place like WDW which is a destination for families and guests of all abilities.

My biggest complaint about accessible bathroom stalls in general (not just at Disney) is that people constantly use them when they don't need them, especially for multiple people to use the stall at once, and I end up sitting in my chair outside the one and only stall I can use for 10, 20+ minutes. I understand using that stall if there's a line and you plan to be quick in there, but right now I feel like people just go in there to have the "luxurious" bigger stall with its own sink and more arm room. And as far as using it for a family, I guarantee that small children fit better in a regular stall than my wheelchair does.
 
I've heard that in Europe you need a disability card and in some places a special key to use these facilities. Here in the USA we don't do this and overall we don't like having to register ourselves. So if any of these bathrooms were placed in WDW everyone would be lining up to use them. The companion restrooms used as a changing room for children in costumes is bad enough.
 
a Hoyer would be broken the first day it was installed, guaranteed. either by someone who didn't know how to properly use it, or by people messing around.

as for the comment about families using them: I am formerly a Full time WC user, and will still use it in WDW/US. so I have been there. I prefer the companion restrooms myself. but when you are a single parent and have several kids, all of whom need to pee and one needs a diaper change, I am not going to begrudge them the the use of the stall. a little kid may fit into a regular stall.. but mom can't at the same time and maybe little Sally still needs assistance wiping.
 


And why should there only be showers for handicapped people?

There are times when my son has an accident and just washing up in the sink isn't good enough. We have to go back to our resort/hotel to get cleaned up which takes up a lot of time. I like the idea of possibly giving those in wheelchairs a key to use this type of restroom if it existed at WDW to keep people who don't really need it out of there.
 
Not all Europe is like this. When I lived in Europe (we were even technically in the European Union) I never, not once, found a handicap bathroom stall in a public restroom in the capitol city where we lived. I struggled to find elevators that would fit a basic umbrella stroller. And the "wheelchair" ramps down to the subway looked like this. That's why I moved back home to the USA. I'll never complain about a bathroom anywhere ever again.
 

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That actually seems to be part of the issue. In the US, we have the ability to keep our medical conditions private. No one needs to know my medical condition and quite honestly, no one needs to know why I need to use handicap stall. Or shower if one was available.

I would not be opposed to carrying a card identifying me as a disabled person, like the UK has. It would not need to contain personal information or diagnosis.

And why should there only be showers for handicapped people?

Because non-disabled people don't need showers in the parks. If you have a problem with soiling yourself, then you have a valid disability and would be able to use it. If you don't soil yourself, why would you want to take time away from your time in the parks to shower there?
 
I don't think showers and changing tables are required by ADA laws. Plus, imagine what would happen if the bathroom has showers...I can imagine posts on Disney boards like "Save money on hotels! Sleep in your car and shower in a Disney bathroom!"
 
I understand the frustration of traveling, and finding that the accommodations you are accustomed to and/or expecting/hoping/praying for are simply not there. I think this would be especially true if you were traveling overseas; I know that I always feel more vulnerable and wary when I travel someplace new.

In the US, the ADA (coupled with our HIPPA regulations) gives us a great deal of protection and freedom; I don't have to explain to anyone why I need to use the HA toilet, ramps, buses or hotel rooms, and although I have to have a signed letter from my doctor to get my HA parking permit, it doesn't say *why* I need one; only that I will benefit from it. Any system that requires a disabled or differently-abled person to "register" to use it will almost assuredly fall outside the boundaries of the ADA and/or HIPPA - so it won't happen in the US.

I agree with others here who have said that a Hoyer lift (or another other assistive device) would likely be broken and out-of-service in short order in a WDW companion/family bathroom. If you notice when you are at a Disney Resort, often the poolside lifts are covered by a canvas cover that helps keep curious kids and adults-who-should-know-better from playing with them.

In a perfect world, EVERY bathroom at WDW would be the same size, and equipped the same, so that there was no issue with the perceptions of the able-bodied vs. the disabled. I myself have experienced able-bodied groups and families using HA facilities at WDW; once at HS, I was waiting for the only HA stall to open, and when it did, a group of cheerleaders rushed past me and into the stall, giggling and laughing that they "beat her to it". Another time, at AK, a mother drug her three small children out of the stall, stuck her tongue out at me, and said "made 'ya wait, didn't I b*tch?" On two different occasions I have heard mothers outside the stall instruct their children to look under the door, and tell me to hurry up because they need it worse than I do. Everyone here in this forum likely has at least one similar story from WDW. Here's what's important to remember about those stories: The people who view those stalls or standalone restrooms as "prime" real estate, to be fought over, and to be hoarded and used because "they deserve it too" have no idea why those accommodations have to be so large and spacious. They view it that Disney made those just for them - to use with their giant strollers, and/or their large families or groups. Because after all, isn't *everything* at Disney just for them? It's a logical extension of the same behavior we see when these same people walk right into the path of wheelchairs and ECVs, or drop trash in the empty seat of your rental scooter, or lean on the handgrips of a strangers wheelchair.

I'm not trying to start an "us vs. them" mentality - far from it. But we do need to recognize (just as we acknowledge and plan for the "zombie walkers" who dart into our path) the extension of that same mentality when it comes to *any* accommodation at WDW. If it can somehow be perceived as "better" by the able-bodied, then they will want to have that same "benefit" too - or they will simply overrun it. (see also: Family that steps in front of wheelchair user trying to watch HEA at MK in a designated area)

There are many reasons why we will likely never see twin bed size changing tables in companion/family restrooms that could accommodate adults at WDW outside of First Aid. Without being too gross, one would be adults using it for "adult activities". Additionally, I think there would be a certain percentage of the population that would go in there, lock the door, turn off the lights and take a nap - keeping the bathroom occupied for (potentially) hours (sadly, I know people who would do exactly this - and see nothing wrong with it). There would be families that would let their kids play all over it (think about where those kids shoes have been walking) while everyone in the family used the bathroom. Anyone who didn't realize it was meant to be an adult-sized changing table would just see it as a handy large surface! Great! And I shudder to think what manner of germs and "ick" would have to be cleaned off that surface prior to using it for a loved one.

We can debate all day long how horribly some Americans would treat such accommodations (and, sadly, it's true, they would) and we can talk all night long about what we *want* to have in an ideal world. Realistically, I think that WDW has struck a good balance, offering what they reasonably can, without causing the family/companion bathrooms to become a "nesting" spot for the first group lucky enough to get in there every day.

At WDW, I think the best solution would be First Aid in the Parks. Outside of WDW, it does become more difficult; Orlando's MCO airport has some HA bathroom stalls with adult sized changing surfaces and a sink, but overall, those types of accommodations seem to be fairly rare. The reality is that we have to be able to plan for and deal with these types of situations on our own. I wish it were different, and I wish there was more thoughtfulness put into accommodations everywhere, for everyone.
 
There are times when my son has an accident and just washing up in the sink isn't good enough. We have to go back to our resort/hotel to get cleaned up which takes up a lot of time. I like the idea of possibly giving those in wheelchairs a key to use this type of restroom if it existed at WDW to keep people who don't really need it out of there.

Why just wheelchairs? In the US, you can't discriminate, either way.

I would not be opposed to carrying a card identifying me as a disabled person, like the UK has. It would not need to contain personal information or diagnosis.



Because non-disabled people don't need showers in the parks. If you have a problem with soiling yourself, then you have a valid disability and would be able to use it. If you don't soil yourself, why would you want to take time away from your time in the parks to shower there?

So, getting food poisoning and having an accident would be considered a disability? Spilling something sticky all over yourself - disability? that doesn't make sense to me. Non-disabled people could need a shower in the parks just like any other person.
 
So, getting food poisoning and having an accident would be considered a disability? Spilling something sticky all over yourself - disability? that doesn't make sense to me. Non-disabled people could need a shower in the parks just like any other person.

I don't think anyone would object to emergency situations like that. Not that those people are likely to have a change of clothing on them at the parks, but certainly acceptable use.
 
I don't think showers and changing tables are required by ADA laws. Plus, imagine what would happen if the bathroom has showers...I can imagine posts on Disney boards like "Save money on hotels! Sleep in your car and shower in a Disney bathroom!"

:tongue::tongue::tongue: This made me laugh so hard! I'm sure you are right.

Definitely not requirements, but I'm sure they would be a nice feature for those that need them. But, as I said in my first post here, there would be blatant abuse. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Actually, the scenario you mention is already possible by using the comfort stations at Fort Wilderness, if people are willing to go that far to save a buck. :P For me, after a long day at Disney parks, sleeping in a car wouldn't get it. :car:
 
Why just wheelchairs? In the US, you can't discriminate, either way.



So, getting food poisoning and having an accident would be considered a disability? Spilling something sticky all over yourself - disability? that doesn't make sense to me. Non-disabled people could need a shower in the parks just like any other person.
I think for most of use we would use comin since and not use the shower but not all people are like this I can see people going it is hot and a show would help me cool down or I have a nice dinner at XYZ, I can see the some poeple needing then ( even with out a disability baby can have diaper exsploion that reaally can not be closed up with wipse and other things) but I would have the showers in first aid or the baby care center and have people moniter the showers.
 
I can see people with Colitis needing those showers. You would not know by looking at them what was going on with them but they are definitely disabled. We no longer go anywhere without a change of clothes.
 
I think for most of use we would use comin since and not use the shower but not all people are like this I can see people going it is hot and a show would help me cool down or I have a nice dinner at XYZ, I can see the some poeple needing then ( even with out a disability baby can have diaper exsploion that reaally can not be closed up with wipse and other things) but I would have the showers in first aid or the baby care center and have people moniter the showers.

So, you'd be willing to give the power of who is allowed to use something to a CM? Have them make that judgement call?

I guess my point isn't clear in my previous posts. Do people really want certain things limited to those with a certain disability? Do you want to set that precedent where people are grouped by what they can't do? Do you want to start limiting access to things by categorization? Do you want someone to come up to you and say "no, you can't have access here, not because of your disability, but because you don't have the right disability to use this?"
 

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