Public Restroom Etiquette and the Wheelchair Accessible Stall

I'm sure you've seen or even used them - the nice, wide, comfortable stalls located farthest from the door in most public restrooms - the ones with the grab bars on the inside, and sometimes, a sink, or even a baby changing station. Many folks prefer them to ordinary stalls in the loo.

Those comfortable stalls are there because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark piece of civil rights legislation prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in the areas of employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. Title III, Public Accommodations, covers accessible public restrooms and other public facilities.

Those stalls are wide so that they can accommodate a person using a wheelchair. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) require an accessible bathroom stall to be 32-36 inches wide, depending on the swing of the stall door, and 60 inches deep so that a person can make a full turn in their wheelchair to position themselves. The grab bars are there to aid a person in transferring from the wheelchair to the toilet seat, while the toilet seat, itself, is usually raised to facilitate an easy and safe transfer. Toilet paper and soap dispensers, as well as the sink, are lowered or designed so that a person using a wheelchair can easily reach them.

Now that I've given you the legal and technical details of those cool bathroom stalls, let's talk about etiquette - the do's and don'ts of dealing with someone in a wheelchair intent on using the loo.

If at all possible, avoid using the accessible stall

After all, you have far more choices in what stall to use than someone using a wheelchair. Most public restrooms have 3-10 stalls, including the accessible one. Unless all of the non-accessible stalls are occupied, and there is no one in a wheelchair waiting to use it, try not to use the accessible stall. There is nothing more frustrating than doing the pee-pee dance in one's wheelchair while waiting to use the accessible stall, then, discovering that the person using the accessible stall clearly had no need for it - and passed up nine empty stalls just to use THAT one!

Don't "race" a person in a wheelchair to the accessible stall

I have had this happen to me many times. I and another woman have entered an empty restroom at the same time, and the woman literally races me to the accessible stall. Since I use a manual wheelchair, I usually lose the race, and have to wait until she is done, all the while, balefully staring at the empty stalls that she could have used, but that I could not, due to their inaccessibility.

Continually knocking at the door will not make us go faster

Some of us, due to the nature of our disability, may take longer to use the loo than the average person. Continually knocking on the stall door will not make us go faster; it will only serve to distract us and prolong things.

Don't freak out if there is someone assisting us in the bathroom

Let's face it; there are some people with disabilities who cannot use the bathroom without assistance. Please don't freak out, make comments, or run to the manager if you see someone helping someone who uses a wheelchair in the restroom, even if that person is of the opposite sex. The person helping out might be a friend, attendant, or personal care aide, a parent, or spouse. It is not unusual for these people to be of the opposite sex. Believe me, a guy helping a woman out in the loo is not interested in you, or anyone else but the one whom he is helping.

Sometimes our dignity is compromised. Please don't gawk or make comments

There are times when the "accessible" stall is anything but, and the stall door cannot be closed due to our protruding wheelchairs. Also, for a number of reasons, there are still restrooms that are inaccessible, yet, we must do what we have to do because there are no other options. Please let us maintain as much dignity as we can. If you see an open stall with a wheelchair protruding, don't gawk or make comments. We obviously had no other choice but to use the loo in the best way that we could. If we could have shut the door all the way, most assuredly, we would have!

The same principle applies if you enter the restroom and see an empty wheelchair outside of a stall. This could mean one of two things - either the restroom does not have an accessible stall, or the accessible stall is unavailable. People who use wheelchairs are no different than you - when we have to go, we have to go! Please refrain from making comments about "wheelchairs blocking the way". Our intent is not to inconvenience you. If the wheelchair could have been put elsewhere, it would have been. Above all, do not touch another person's wheelchair in order to move it out of the way. This could potentially create an unsafe situation for us. Remain calm, and be patient. If you must complain, go to the manager or owner of the establishment and ask why their public restroom is inaccessible when the ADA has been in place for twenty years.

In conclusion

I hope that this little guide has been helpful, and has raised awareness about accessibility and public restrooms.

Resources:

Personal experience

Americans with Disabilities Act: Title III, Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities http://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm#SubchapIII

ADA Accessibility Guidelines: Toilet Rooms and Bathrooms http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/checklist/Bathrooms.html