I need the toilet I say to Mr H on a recent day out to a countryside event. The disabled toilet is there. He points at a small grey horse box with a ramp beside a portacabin with steps containing the ladies and gents toilets.
I walk back down the ramp. Put my walking sticks back into their holders on my rollator and head to the tent. I ask about the key.
I walk back to the tent to advise the key lady that I have finished as she requested, I also tell her there is no water or soap. She says she’ll lock up and look into it.
Before I turn around to leave I ask a question to which I already know the answer; Are the toilets for the able bodied also kept locked?
I walk away.
I ask Mr H if there was water, soap and paper towels in the gents. Of course he says.
This is what living with a disability looks like. Accessibility is the buzz word. But how can that toilet be called accessible when the less mobile are forced to walk extra distance to ask to be let into a toilet which then doesn’t have the basic facilities.
Well that toilet story has warmed me up…
There is no such thing as click and book in relation to a hotel room when you are disabled. We always have to phone the hotel direct. The search is arduous because not all hotels have accessible rooms. If they do they vary drastically, there is no standardised accessible room.
I have learnt to be specific about my needs when booking accommodation:
I need a lift if the room is above ground floor.
A walk in shower with grab rails is essential.
A higher toilet is desirable but not critical provided there’s a rail I can grab to stand if the loo is too low… I have already yanked on too many wobbly sinks and toilet roll holders when trying to get off a low toilet, wondering if I will have to shout for help.
But before I pick up the phone I start my Google photo research to identify if I can get into and out of any of my shortlisted hotels independently. For me that means checking photos of the entrances for step free access.
That information in hand I pick up the phone.
So I emphasise that my booking is conditional on getting the accessible room and I pursue the hotel until I have a written confirmation that I am guaranteed a suitable room.
Then I lie down in a darkened room for a week wondering why I travel and why I feel so tired!
Unfortunately for those who seek accessibility, the choice of room is usually pretty limited. You can forget asking for an accessible suite in a swanky hotel should you be lucky enough to afford one. Most hotels only turn a couple of standard rooms into truly accessible rooms which are (hopefully) suitable for someone with limited mobility or who requires the use of a wheelchair to get around.
But it doesn't end there. I then always contact the hotel a few days before we go to double check that they still have the accessible room available.
So with a happy grin I sigh with relief when we arrive and find that the room and venue are as accessible as indicated in print and in photos. Except for the locked toilet of course!