National Key Scheme for toilets.

I have had a 'Radar' National Key Scheme key for some time.

I find public toilets impossible, they are smelly and unhygeinic with wet (urine) soaked floors, rudimentary handwashing facilities, and only slightly better than wetting myself. I will only use one when absolutely desperate.   I therefore thought that as I was Autistic I would get a key so I could use the 'disabled' toilet.

Problem is, I cannot bring myself to use it.  I do not have a wheelchair or have physical problems using a 'normal' toilet.  The problems I have are a mental aversion.  On the odd occasion I have used the 'disabled' toilet (what a strange name, it is not the toilet that is disabled, it works perfectly!) it is because the normal one is out of use.  And it has always been a lot cleaner and more pleasant.

So should I just grit my teeth and bear the normal toilets?  Or should I ignore the (perceived) thoughts of those who think I should not use the disabled toilet.  Or is it the case I should not use the disabled toilet at all as they are only intended for those who are physically disabled?

Parents
  • I would suggest you ignore your own thoughts. Leave other people free to have their own thoughts and use the toilet for disabled people. Or are you saying you can actually hear the thoughts of others? And that’s why you have to consider ignoring them??

    Under the social model of disability, which replaced the medical model, we are disabled so you therefore have a legitimate right to use the toilet. You can use it with a clear conscious. 

    One thing though. Don’t go to India. You would never survive their toilets. Not without a considerable amount of effort. 

Reply
  • I would suggest you ignore your own thoughts. Leave other people free to have their own thoughts and use the toilet for disabled people. Or are you saying you can actually hear the thoughts of others? And that’s why you have to consider ignoring them??

    Under the social model of disability, which replaced the medical model, we are disabled so you therefore have a legitimate right to use the toilet. You can use it with a clear conscious. 

    One thing though. Don’t go to India. You would never survive their toilets. Not without a considerable amount of effort. 

Children
  • I can 'feel' the thoughts rather than 'hear' them ... or have some inner perception, however misconceived that perception may be.  The fact is, I have some sort of 'inner conscience' of what I consider right and wrong, and however entitled I may be to use the toilet, I cannot get through my own conscience to use it as a matter of course.  I think that 'wheelchair' symbol for the disabled has something to do with it, it implies to me a 'physical' disability as the qualification.  And no, I would not think the same about someone else, I would assume they had a hidden disability if I saw someone using the key to enter the disabled toilet.

    I know I have great problems in using a normal public toilet.  I once went nearly twenty four hours and was really bursting when eventually I went.  My support worker suggested I get the key, (which is VAT free for those with a 'substantial impairment', you just have to declare it}, it costs £2.50 (plus postage and without VAT) online from

    https://www.radarkey.org/prices.php

    I would add there is no 'check' made on eligibility, it is just an 'honesty' thing, although I think a substantial fine might be the case for declaring a substantial impairment when one did not exist for the purposes of avoiding the VAT should this be found out!  But Autism is considered a 'substantial' impairment' so I believe if you were diagnosed you would be exempt from the VAT (which would be payable on the postage as well).

    Copies of the keys are also available from ebay, amazon, and argos, at various prices,  but as such there is some possibility it seems that they may not work in all locks.Well that is what I am led to believe anyway from some of the reviews.

  • Thank you for letting me know about the potential problems in India. This is a good advice and very helpful for me to know.