Public Toilets in Singapore for People with Profound Disabilities

When I first scanned this appeal in the car [as a passenger] while trying to break a fight between my two kids, I skeptically wondered how a petition can help move things. This Petition. Wouldn't it slow processes down? I see talking to a Member of Parliament face-to-face would make more sense. Even writing into a forum in Straits Times could light a spark for discussion that may rouse a serious review.

Handicap cubicles are spacious in my opinion. Maybe not so much for those that are built inside the Ladies or Gents but there are many malls in Singapore that include a separate Handicap Toilet [outside the regular Ladies and Gents] in their master plan and they can be big. I admit I abuse the system and use these Handicap Toilets myself whenever I stroll my children out to play. You see, I own a monster pram [a Stokke] and when the seat is laid down flat, it takes up a lot of space! I cannot possibly fit two kids, a stroller and myself in a regular toilet if we went out on our own. So the Handicap Toilet is a saviour even for a mom like me - with regular kids in tow. Do we usually have enough space for all of us in one cubicle? Yes we do. Sort of. Sometimes. 

So then, what is it that I am trying to raise awareness for?

It is for those with profound disabilities or serious impairments.

Our current Handicap Toilets are meant for people with a disability who can independently use a toilet and can transfer themselves safely to and from their wheelchair. However, it is not equipped to assist those who have muscular dystrophy, spinal injuries, acquired brain injury or multiple sclerosis just to name a few. 

If you cannot accept changing your babies' diapers on the floor of a toilet, is it also unacceptable for disabled adults to have their soiled diapers changed on the floor of a toilet?

Who would have thought that adults with disabilities are sometimes required to be laid down for diaper changes while they are out on the run! I was disturbed when I read this. Our changing tables in the toilets are not big nor strong enough to carry the weight of an older child or elderly.

As quoted from a friend, "This applies to many elderly as well, diaper bound elderly are quite common and it would encourage caregivers and children to take them out more if there were change facilities available. Similarly, if they are unable to hold up their weight, they would not be able to be changed outside unless it's on the floor."

I wonder how many PWDs [People with Disability] or elderlies actually go out shopping or sightseeing. It is obviously a lot more convenient to stay home right? One might say, "Then stay home! Why go out?"

Because they are just like you and me. If we are not able to stay home as abled people because it is too stifling, it is the same for them. Doctors always advise the sick to 出去吹吹风 [go out for a breather, for fresh air] right? This statement is for everyone. 

The petition requests for the following changes: 

1. Larger sized toilets to accommodate easy maneuvering of an adult wheelchair, with space for 1-2 caregivers to assist if required.
2. Sliding doors to ease entering and exiting the public toilet when seated in a wheelchair.
3. Larger, stronger and height adjustable change tables, with safety-rails that can be folded up or down safely.
4. A hoist system to support and safely transport people with disabilities, from their wheelchairs to the change table or toilet, and vice versa.
5. A height adjustable hand basin, to accommodate both children and adults, either seated in a wheelchair or in standing.
6. The new improved toilets in all public places, including but not limited to: swimming pools, hospitals, government buildings, malls, transport terminals, etc.

Picture Taken from http://changingplaces.org.au

While many of our handicap toilets I encountered here are large and comes with sliding doors, it is time to make it a standard across the island. In fact, having a handicap toilet in every premise is now a law passed by our government as mandatory. Our country is making every effort to include PWDs in our every day lives and doing so much better than many other countries. We have lifts from underground train stations, handicap toilets in almost every mall and even retractable ramps on buses!  I say we are doing really well but that shouldn't stop us from going further.

I am heartened to read: People With Disabilities A Focus For 2017 Budget! Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of Finance and Law, said,

"...if you're disabled, it doesn't mean that you're not able to contribute and be a fully-functioning part of society."

Although her piece is bends towards integrating them into the workforce, I am very proud of my government for putting effort and time to think about the livelihood of PWDs.

Here's sharing a story from Debby about her experience with handicap toilets that are not equipped enough to cater to her son's [Michael] outdoor adventures: 

[story extracted from http://changingplaces.org.au/stories/debby-and-michael/]

Having a day out can be a challenge. Michael is an avid explorer and he loves being out and about traveling on buses, trains and in the car. Sometimes the destination is determined by the facilities we can access for toileting. But once he is out and about there are not many options around toileting. Michael has complex care needs and needs full support for all activities. Michael uses a wheelchair to get around.

When we are out and about for the day Michael will need to be toileted. Most people have seen the stories of how many germs a handbag can carry from being put on the floor of a toilet, so can you then imagine lying on the floor of a public toilet yourself? Michael is exposed to this whenever he needs to be changed and we are out for the day and there are no appropriate places to be changed.

Sometimes the disabled toilets are so small there is very little room to lie Michael down on the floor, without his head hitting the cistern, or his feet being wrapped around it. It’s not a position you want to put yourself in and yet we are putting our children who are sometimes very vulnerable or susceptible to illness at risk because we have no choice.

I remember one time on a trip home from Sydney we had to stop for a toilet break. We stopped at a toilet facility on the freeway. The floor of the disabled toilets was completely flooded and I had no choice but to lay a blanket on the grass outside of the toilet block and change Michael there in the open. So much for privacy and dignity as I quickly changed him before another car came and stopped to use the facilities.

Today, Sydney itself has 7 Handicap Accessible Changing Places with many Handicap Changing Places sprouting all over Australia. Changing Places is a project that aims to raise awareness around Australia and across the world, about the need for full sized change tables and hoists in public toilets. It began in the UK in 2005 and although this may be novel to most Singaporeans, it is still an important piece of information to digest.

As I write, I thought about ideas like, "How about a wheelchair that can recline into a bed [strollers can do that] or instead of a height adjustable hand basin, how about two basins of different heights [whichever bears a lower cost]?"

The Petition is here. If you would like to put your mark on it as a form of support, we welcome you to sign. There are only 142 signatures on it now [after a month] and they are hoping to reach a target of 10,000 to submit this appeal to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for consideration.

Alternatively, do help create awareness for the PWD community by sharing this post on your Facebook page.

This may not take off but we have to start somewhere and with your help, we can make a difference. This campaign is not only for the aged of today. It is forward thinking for the children with cerebral palsy for instance who will be growing up by the decade and outgrowing that baby diaper changing table that we currently have. It is for the future.

Footnote: I discussed and shared my thoughts with the initiator of this petition, Janell Lee, a Paediatric Physiotherapist. After understanding more about the purpose of this petition, I offered to help create awareness with a blog post with no strings attached. We share the same concerns for the profoundly disabled and would like to provide this community and their carers an opportunity to enjoy all that there is to offer - from public events to simple outings to the malls with the availability of Changing Places like Australia. I am a mother to healthy children and I count my blessings every day. 

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