Equity begins in the bathroom

EQUITY BEGINS IN THE BATHROOM

by Helen Said, Autism and disability rights advocate

If we’re serious about equity, we have to provide truly accessible toilet facilities in all public places. Most public places fail to provide for both men and women who depend on incontinence pads or pants, trans men who menstruate, gender non-conforming people who don’t fit the binary labelling of public toilets, people who use self-catheterisation or colostomy products, diabetics, wheelchair users and disabled adults and their carers who need to access change facilities.

Men who undergo prostate surgery

The above poster, produced by the Continence Foundation of Australia, calls for “Bins 4 Blokes” and asks people to scan a QR code to pledge their support “for shopping centres to put in a bin for blokes”. It spells out the facts: “1.34 million Australian boys and men experience incontinence. If they use incontinence products there are very few places for them to throw them away which may prevent them from getting out and about.”

According to an ABC News item, posted Saturday 3^rd November 2018, “A lack of sanitary bins for men is a wee problem that nobody wants to talk about.” It goes on to say, “An awful lot of men will have reason to use a sanitary bin in their lifetime, usually because of incontinence arising from prostate issues. The Continence Foundation estimates about one in four Australians suffer incontinence, and if you add in the fact that about one in six men develop prostate cancer, that means you have a good chance of needing to seek out a sanitary bin if you're a bloke.”

Lina Scaffidi, whose husband underwent prostate surgery, rang talkback radio in a failed attempt to talk to then Prime Minister Scott Morrison about the issue. She was told "you can't ask the PM that!" Ms Scaffidi continued her crusade, collecting signatures and talking to men outside of Bunnings, however six years later, very little progress has been made.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-03/wee-problem-for-men-with-sanitary-bins-hard-to-find/10442516

People who self-catheterise or have colostomy bags

Some people with disabilities and medical issues cannot naturally empty their bladders. They need to regularly insert a tube through the urethra into the bladder to drain their urine into the toilet and use other supplies for sterilisation. Self-catheterisation needs to be done several times a day and all materials are single use only and need to be disposed of.

Some people with severe forms of gastro-intestinal disease have surgery to divert the colon out to the skin and they wear a colostomy bag to collect their faeces. Because of individual toileting needs, they may need to empty bags or change bags and dispose of sanitising materials and this needs to be done regularly throughout the day.

People with these medical issues must be able to access adequate, hygienic washroom facilities and bins to continue living active lifestyles. Lack of bins in toilets, or lack of adequate room in the bins for self-catheterising or colostomy materials, can severely curtail the lifestyle and activities of people who self-catheterise or wear colostomy bags. Inconsistency of public facilities creates anxiety and doubt about venturing out with personal disability needs.

Trans, intersex and gender diverse (TISGD) bathroom access

Some trans men menstruate and need discreet access to sanitary disposal bins within their toilet cubicles. LGBTIQ+ Victorian Labor members have issued the following all-gender bathrooms guidance: “Gendered bathrooms, or the lack of an accessible bathroom for all genders, can often force trans, intersex and gender diverse (TISGD) Victorians to out themselves, use a bathroom that does not correspond to their gender identity. In the worst cases, this can lead to TISGD people avoiding using public bathrooms or limiting water intake, increasing the risk of kidney issues, or exposing TISGD people to violence when they use “the wrong bathroom”. Despite this, little government guidance exists on how to implement safe bathroom options and alternatives while maintaining compliance with building codes.”

LGBTIQ+ Victorian Labor members propose the following actions to make workplace bathrooms more appropriate and accessible: “Action 1. Assess the potential for changes to the National Construction Code to allow more workplaces to implement all-gender bathrooms 2. Investigate the potential for co-designing guidance materials for workplaces with the LGBTQIA+ community on how to provide safe bathroom options for TISGD workers in a compliant manner 3. Evaluate the potential for the addition of all-gender bathroom options in the public service in close consultation with the CPSU and HSRs.”

Wheelchair users’ access to public toilets.

Disappointingly, there is no accreditation of public toilets or other public facilities to determine if they really are accessible to people in wheelchairs. There appears to be no consequences for businesses that fail to provide accessibility features, fail to clean and maintain accessible toilets or who remove or repurpose accessible toilets or hotel suites to make more profit. Businesses that can be accessed by people in wheelchairs can fail to provide adequate toilet facilities and businesses that have accessible toilets can have wheelchair-unfriendly carparks, which prevent some wheelchair users crossing the carpark to enter the building. Clearly accreditation standards need to be implemented and enforced, on a par with the enforcement of other standards such as OH&S and hygiene standards.

Rarely do public places provide adult change places so that people with high disability needs and their carers can venture out with confidence that their toileting needs will be met.

Organisers of all public events should make an effort to choose accessible venues. They should advertise the accessibility features of their venue in event publicity. In the case where their event is inaccessible, they should issue an apology in their publicity without being asked. Where practical, in the case of public meetings, they should offer hybrid in person and online attendance to ensure people with health conditions, caring responsibilities or lack of travel options can participate. The onus shouldn’t be placed on the person with a disability to inquire about accessibility, the onus should be placed on organisers to preference accessible venues and inform potential attendees of the available facilities.

Diabetics and IV drug users’ access

Only certain public toilets provide syringe disposal for diabetics and IV drug users and this again potentially limits freedom of movement. If diabetics check their blood glucose levels or have injections to manage their diabetes, they need to dispose of the used lancets (finger-pricking needles), insulin pen needles and syringes. These items are called sharps because they puncture the skin. Proper disposal of sharps reduces the risk of harm to others and the environment. Sharps can be disposed of in a sharps bin or in in a strong, plastic, screw top container that is puncture proof, but these still should be disposed of according to medical or council instructions. Providing sharps bins in all public toilets can help diabetics lead their best possible lives.

Incontinence, disability or gender differences not easy to talk about? Hint: the more you talk about it, the easier it gets. Nobody should suffer shaming, stigma or social isolation because of the way they pee, poo, sit on the toilet, their personal medical conditions or the gender they identify with. It’s up to governments to set the standard that businesses follow, to make equity a reality. Be sure to let your councils, state and federal governments know the standard of access that you as a voter expect them to provide.