JOHN Sinclair's letter (January 20) and the concerns he raises about the lack of public toilets in Milngavie are commendable.
Mr Sinclair describes this situation as a "perhaps unintended form of disability discrimination".
Let me take this argument one step further. There are many people with disabilities for whom the ability to visit a public toilet is already denied, as their profound and multiple disabilities leave them unable to access standard disabled toilets. These vulnerable people truly suffer disability discrimination as there are so few accessible toilets they can use.
For such a group to be able to comfortably use a public toilet, there has to be a fully wheelchair accessible spacious toilet, with the correct equipment of a hoist and a height adjustable changing bench.
Such facilities are slowly being introduced, spurred on by Pamis, the charity which supports families like mine where one member has profound and multiple disabilities. Pamis has fully supported the Changing Places toilet scheme, which aims to have fully accessible changing places toilets installed in public buildings. For example, Silverburn Shopping Centre has excellent facilities that meet these requirements, and I believe the Scottish Parliament does too, but so many other places do not. The new Hydro in Glasgow lacks a Changing Places toilet - my disabled son loves Kylie, who played the Hydro last year but the lack of appropriate toilets meant we did not go. Even new-build hospitals don't provide such toilets. Glasgow Airport is another public building without a Changing Places toilet, and a nightmare if your flight is delayed and your disabled relative needs to access toilets.
Whilst I applaud the outcry over the inconvenience of no public conveniences in Milngavie, I would urge the public to contemplate our predicament. We do suffer disability discrimination when buildings open to the public fail to provide adequate toilets for our distinct disabled group. It is time that all those involved in providing public toilets, whether these be in local communities, hospitals, shopping centres or concert arenas stop disregarding our disabled people and install a Changing Places toilet.
Yvonne M Russell,
56 Hamilton Street, Larkhall.
I AM not aware if we beat Govan (Letters, January 20), but for many months now Stirling District Council has had a similar scheme called Comfort Partnership. It is in operation in my home village of Doune and suitable signposted and maintained.
Iain Mathieson.
15 Moray Park, Doune, Perthshire.
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