Sir, – Increasingly, as an elderly person with a disability, I have been treated as a second-class citizen while paying a first-class price in restaurants, shops and other similar establishments.
The disabled toilet has become a place where I am at serious risk due to a lack of cleanliness and regular inspection daily.
Recently I was using the facilities at a popular location and found that the tiled floor was wet; the toilet seat was loose and slid sideways to the point that I was nearly jettisoned to the floor; the red alarm cord was tied to the arm which allows one to gracefully lower and raise oneself off the toilet seat; and the hand dryer pumped out cold air instead of hot.
In effect, the owners have made a substantial reward from charging a first-class price and then putting disabled people at risk and treating them differently to their other customers.
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Such facilities should be inspected first thing in the morning and inspected at regular intervals to ensure the safety of their patrons with a disability. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD MERVYN COOPER,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.