Hemavathy says the flip-up grab bar (the metal rails beside the toilet bowl) is a crucial feature in toilets for people with disabilities. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG, MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
IMAGINE being stuck in a toilet for 30 minutes.
This happened to Hemavathy Muniandy when she went to a restroom while dining at a popular restaurant in Rawang, Selangor.
She was trapped inside the disabled toilet for 30 minutes before her mother came to her rescue.
The 25-year-old wheelchair- user could not move from her wheelchair to the toilet bowl as there was no space to manoeuvre.
This toilet at the DBKL-owned Kompleks Tun Sambanthan is not built to specification as the hand rails and toilet bowl are too close, making it a challenge to manoeuvre a wheelchair.
“It was a situation of being caught between a rock and a hard place.
“I had locked the toilet door but left my phone with my mother.
“It was only when I was inside that I realised my predicament.
“When I was rescued from my embarrassing situation, my dignity was hurt but seeing my mother cry for me hurt even more,” she said.
Jacob says hundreds of disabled toilets are not up to standard.
And that was not the first time that Hemavathy was trapped in such a mortifying situation.
The Selangor Paralympic Games athlete often goes for team-building and training sessions at various venues in the Klang Valley.
Some of these places do not have facilities for people with disabilities.
“I was at a resort in Semenyih for a team-building session for athletes with disabilities, and I fell twice while trying to use the toilet because there was no such facility for the disabled,” said Hemavathy.
Gurdip (left) and Francis have had their share of lavatory woes.
“The second fall resulted in a fractured finger.
“I scolded my coach for not checking out the place beforehand,” she said.
Gurdip Kaur, 63, who has been using a wheelchair for 30 years, said she detested having to rely on others for help.
“I have accepted my condition and I have come to terms with the fact that I will never walk again,” she said.
“What I will not accept is disabled toilets not built for our needs and able-bodied people using the facilities meant for us.”
She advises those building toilets for people with disabilities to consult professionals to ensure guidelines and specifications are met.
“Toilets for the disabled require added features so that we can use them safely and with ease.
“We need space to manoeuvre the wheelchair in the toilet,” said Gurdip.
“Handrails are crucial as we need them for support while transferring ourselves onto the toilet.
“I have lost the ability to walk, so my independence is the only thing I have.
“A simple handrail built to specifications will enable me to do things independently and prevent me from falling.
“Even the sinks should be strategically placed near the toilet for us to wash our hands before we move back to the wheelchair without spreading germs,” Gurdip pointed out.
Brooms, a hose and mops make a public toilet an obstacle course for wheelchair-users.
Toilets used for storage
Another pet peeve among people with disabilities is when their toilets are locked or turned into storage rooms.
“Seven out of 10 toilets I have been to were either turned into storage rooms, or they were locked.
“When I enter the toilet, I have to manoeuvre my wheelchair to avoid pails, brooms, mops and even storage boxes.
“What is supposed to be a 10-minute routine will take 30 minutes because I have to spend time moving those items just to use the toilet,” said Gurdip.
Hemavathy recounted how challenging it was to get to the disabled toilet at a KTM station because the path was lined with potted plants.
“Inside the toilet, there were artificial flowers on the walls and photos of old trains. They even decorated the toilet bowl!
“But the grab bar, the one that can flip up and down, was wobbly and needed to be repaired.
“A working grab bar must be able to flip up to enable me to transfer from my wheelchair to the toilet bowl. Without it, the toilet is useless,” she said, adding that there was also no toilet paper there.
Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia president G. Francis Siva has his own share of toilet woes.
The 64-year-old quadriplegic said it was very stressful for a wheelchair-user to find the toilet not working properly.
“I needed to use the toilet badly and stopped at the rest area near the Subang toll booth.
“It was a horrible experience as the water pressure was low and water was leaking. It was very embarrassing for me,” he said.
Francis said many places, such as clinics, hospitals, train stations, restaurants and rest areas, lacked basic facilities for people with disabilities.
He recounted how several years ago, he led a group of people with disabilities to protest the absence of a functional toilet at the Rawang KTM station.
“The toilet was locked up. I was so furious. Why lock the toilet? What are we supposed to do when we absolutely need to use a toilet?” Francis asked.
“When the station staff finally opened the door, which had been locked for months, we found the toilet was being used as a storeroom,” he added.
Hemavathy said, “Once, I waited 30 minutes for someone to unlock the toilet in Batu Caves (at the temple grounds).
“At first the management had no idea who was holding the key, so they had to find the person with the key.
“When they found the key and unlocked the toilet, I had another battle trying to use it.”
Another matter that upsets the community is when able-bodied folk use toilets meant for people with disabilities.
“I had an emergency situation and had to wait for over 30 minutes to use the toilet,” said Francis.
“When the door finally opened, it was a family of five – a mother with her young children – who were using it,” he said.
There have even been cases of people misusing disabled toilets.
“It is an open secret – disabled toilets are often used by couples to have sex!” Gurdip said, adding that able-bodied people using a disabled toilet must be punished.
Senator Isaiah Jacob, who is a person with disability, said it was time for the government to take a serious look at the plight of the community to protect their welfare and dignity.
People with disabilities need legal protection as they have the right to be safe and not be discriminated due to their condition, he said.
Regarding disabled toilets, Jacob said developers were legally bound to ensure that basic facilities were in place.
“Developers must provide the right infrastructure for people with disabilities, for instance, in building construction.
“I have seen hundreds of disabled toilets that are of sub-par standard. It is time for developers to provide the best facilities,” he said, adding that he would raise the matter in Parliament.
He said fundamental rights of the community had to be protected.
“This includes ensuring legal action is taken against anyone not adhering to the rules.
“For instance, local authorities like Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) are empowered to take action against roadside hawkers or private vehicle owners who obstruct public walkways, putting people with disabilities at risk.
“We have seen and heard enough about visually impaired people getting injured by walking into stalls, motorcycles and cars.
“The laws, like the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, are in place; they just need to be enforced and I am going to make sure that it is,” Jacob said.
