Why using ‘accessible’ washrooms leave me full of embarrassment, light on dignity

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Peggy

This First Person article is the experience of Alex Lytwyn, who lives with cerebral palsy and is a disability advocate, writer and small business owner of Willpower Media. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see this FAQ .

Going to the washroom is something that I cannot take for granted. There’s a lot that goes into the process.

Because I have a physical disability, going out in public comes with a lot of different thoughts.

Wide doors and a little extra personal space should be given to the areas that are supposed to be wheelchair accessible.

While out and about, I have to use the washroom. After manoeuvring my way down to the washroom area, my helper and I reach the entrance and are faced with a moral dilemma: which washroom do we go into?

We both just deal with the fact that I have to go and that’s that.– Alex Lytwyn

If there’s a so-called ‘family washroom,’ everything is fine. But what if there’s not? I am a male and the helper with me is a female, so what do I do?

After a lot of consideration, I decide to go into the women’s washroom, to make my female helper feel somewhat at ease.

As I enter, the washroom is full and the women are looking at me. Nobody really says anything, because they can see what the situation is.

After I sheepishly enter the stall, I have to put all of my uneasiness on the back burner. We both just deal with the fact that I have to go and that’s that.

However, new problems appear.

There’s a small opening where the power chair is supposed to go, but neither my helper nor me has enough room to feel comfortable.

Close-up of a family washroom sign. — Alex Lytwyn says family washrooms are more easily accessible and private. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

Next step — to try to close the stall door. The size of my chair does not allow the door to be closed all the way. Just great!

So not only am I not in the proper washroom, I have even less privacy because the stall door is open.

With everything going on, I am not able to complete the task at hand. I am full of embarrassment (and a not quite empty bladder). We leave the washroom.

The people who design these washrooms need to realize that “wheelchair accessible” is not just a couple of words that should be thrown around lightly. They’re words that should highlight and ensure a person’s right to privacy and dignity.