THE ACCESSIBLE WHEELCHAIR USER'S BATHROOM

Here is a challenging survey for you or anyone you know who is a wheelchair user and faces access issues to a bathroom.  I have cut and pasted the survey questions to the bottom of this article because a form I received and downloaded, unfortunately will not download here.  You can work around that by cutting and pasting the bottom of this article, and then printing it as a form.

After this information is filled out, can you share it with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice?  If you can, leave a Comment on their proposed new rules to combat Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability:  Accessibility of Medical Diagnostic Equipment of State and Local Government Entities, leaving the code name, RIN 1190-AA78,  on your Comment at the Federal eRulemaking website before the February 12, 2024 deadline:  https://www.regulations.gov.

I know what you are thinking.  How does this affect the use of Medical Diagnostic Equipment (MDE) at facilities run by State and Local Governments?  Two reasons.

First, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed similar rules.  Between them, the rules proposed by the DOJ and the earlier rules proposed by HHS will cover virtually every provider of Medical Diagnostic services who takes Federal money including from Medicare and Medicaid.  Expect DOJ to share your Comment with Health and Human Services.

Second, the places where MDE is found includes hospitals, physicians' offices, and X-ray labs.  Do these places not have restrooms?  Sure they do.  Do these places not have patients in wheelchairs?   Sure they do.

So get cracking, and when the form is filled out to survey Accessible Bathrooms For A Wheelchair User, send it if you can to the Federal Government – and make someone's life easier by making the bathroom more accessible to them.

HOW ACCESSIBLE IS YOUR ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM FOR A WHEELCHAIR USER—Really?

Location:

Name of critiquer:

Email address of critiquer:

1. Doorway (5 lbs. of pressure to be ADA compliant)
2. Automatic entry
3. Very easy open
4. Challenging but doable
5. Almost impossible
6. Space in bathroom to maneuver?
7. Yes
8. No
9. Where is handicapped stall located?

 

 

4. Is the space in the stall adequate to accommodate a motorized wheelchair? How about a helper as well?

        

5. Is purse holder on door of stall lower?

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6. Grab bars
7. Where?
8. How many?
9. Good height?
10. Toilet height
11. Too Tall
12. Too Low        
13. Just right
14. Toilet easy to flush?
15. Sink
16. Slide under?
17. See yourself in mirror?
18. Soap accessible?
19. Paper towels in reach for manual wheelchair users?

Please read the disclaimer.  This blog article ©2024 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.