I can't believe I'm posting about toilets, but...

[chaospearl]

Hi folks

Okay, I feel stupid posting this, but it would be helpful to know.

Does anybody know if the toilets in a WC-accessible hotel room are higher than the normal ones?

I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and two artificial hip joints. My toilet at home is a tall model with a high seat. When I travel, I always find myself having problems when I discover the toilet seat in public restrooms and in hotels is about 6 - 8 inches lower than what I'm used to. Particularly in the mornings when I haven't had my medication yet and my joints are so stiff I can barely move. I have sometimes actually gotten TRAPPED in the bathroom because I was able to sort of squat and then "flop" myself down onto the low seat, but my knees couldn't handle levering me back up again, so there I am sitting on the throne unable to stand up until somebody helps me. Can we say humiliating? I thought so.

I don't use a WC, so I hesitate to take up a handicapped room from somebody who may need it more, but it would be immensely helpful to stay in a room where the toilet seat isn't so low that I'm going to need assistance to use the bathroom. I also really love the WC-accessible curtained shower stalls where the bathroom includes a drain on the tile floor and there's no tub ledge to hoist myself over. But the toilet height is a much larger issue and if it turns out the toilets in handicapped rooms are normal height, I'm not going to ask for a handicapped room just for the roll-in shower.

Jenni

 

[Momelie]

Hi Jenni!

Boy can I relate! I have moderate to severe PA (mainly in the SI joint, which can't be replaced), and I can't tell you how many times I've had to call DH to get me up from a low toilet seat, a gazillion at least. Its to the point where he knows if my morning meds haven't had time to kick in, he just opens the companion restroom door at the parks and points, LOL!

I don't know about any other hotels, but I know that there are rooms in Pop Century that aren't the wheelchair access (no roll in shower) but they do have the raised toilet with (drum roll here) BARS on each side to help you up! I wanted to take them home with me. Not sure how to tell you to ask for them, I just mentioned that I needed a room close to the handicapped parking spots and got one once, then kept asking for another room just like that one.

We currently aren't staying on property, we stay at a Downtown Disney hotel because of the jacuzzi tubs. I found that I could swallow my pride enough to let DH help me if I could have that jacuzzi at the beginning and end of the days.

BTW, if you don't mind me asking, how high is your toilet at home, and where did you purchase it. We've been looking at the big box stores, and the higher ones there (chair height) don't seem very much higher than the 1950s throne we have now.

Thanks!

 

[mechurchlady]

You can have a raised toilet seat on your toilet in your hotel.

You are entitled to using the companion and handicapped toilets. In fact you have the right to use them even if not disabled. Nobody has a right to use a toilet more than you. Now you check out companion bathrooms and do not fret about using handicapped bathrooms.

toilets are normal around here and very important. I have been trapped nearly by skinny stalls. I can use a regular toilet but use the handicapped because I cannot get up easily out of stalls that are so narrow that I cannot scratch my hip without turning sideways.

welcome aboard and please read the FAQs as there is so much info there.

hugs
Laurie

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Normal toilets are 13 inches to the top of the bowl, plus usually another inch for the seat. The toilets in accessible rooms or accessible stalls in public restrooms are 17 inches to the top of the bowl.

 

[SueM in MN]

The handicapped stalls in the restrooms all have raised seat toilets and grab bars. You may find that the stalls that are fairly narrow and have grab bars on both sides may work best for you because you would have a bar on both sides. That kind of stall is like this:

Some of the handicapped stalls are larger and the location of the grab bars in this type of stall may not work as well for you because you would not be able to grab on both sides at the same time:

Companion Restrooms also have this type of arrangement because they need to have space for someone to park a wheelchair close to the toilet.

As was already mentioned, there are 2 types of handicapped hotel rooms. One type is set up for someone who uses a wheelchair all the time and has a shower that a wheelchair can be rolled right up to.
The other type has a tub with grab bars. Both types of bathrooms have raised seat toilet.
Also, as was already mentioned, if you need the raised seat toilet, don't feel you can't use one of the handicapped rooms. If you have a need and that kind of room will meet it, then you have a right to have your needs met.

 

[tink2dw]

Do Not use the stall next to a handicap stalls, they are children's toilets so close to the ground it is truly awful to see your knee's pass your ears!

 

[SueM in MN]

Do Not use the stall next to a handicap stalls, they are children's toilets so close to the ground it is truly awful to see your knee's pass your ears!

Just for clarification..............
Those are actually regular toilets and the toilet rim can be as short as 14 inches above the ground. The only children's toilets are in the Baby Care Centers.

A raised seat toilet is usually around 17 inches.

 

[chaospearl]

Fabulous, this is EXACTLY what I needed to know! Thank you all so much!

My toilet at home is also a 17" model, and it has a seat (by which I mean the horseshoe shaped part that detaches and can be replaced easily) that's air-padded so that's another 2" or so. I'm almost positive my father purchased it at Lowe's, but I'll ask when he gets home. Update: Yes, he did buy it at Lowe's. He said that toilets typically only come in two sizes; the normal 13" and the higher 17" and that both sizes should be available at any home improvement store -- Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. If you don't have access to one of those stores, you can order it over the Internet.My house has a lot of small, barely noticable modifications that allow me to live my life a bit easier without screaming out "handicapped house!" ... not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that I do enjoy living somewhere that doesn't make me feel disAbled on a regular basis. We have replaced every doorknob in the house with the "lever" kind rather than the "round" kind, and ditto for the faucets on the sinks. Nudging a lever sideways is much easier on my hands than trying to grasp a round knob and twist it. My bathroom has the raised toilet and a floor level step-in shower stall rather than a tub so that I don't have to hoist a leg over the side of the tub ledge to get in and out.

It's little things that make a big difference -- and the same little things that have the potential to ruin a vacation over something as ridiculous as getting stuck on the 14" toilet seat provided by most standard hotel rooms. I nearly always travel alone, so it's a bit more of a problem than simply the humiliation of having to ask my own family for help. I don't have anyone in the room to ask. I keep my meds on the nightstand next to the bed when I travel and every time I get out of bed, I swallow a pill, before I even swing my legs over the side of the bed. It's reflex by now. That way, if I do get stuck on the low toilet, I know I just have to sit there another 20 minutes until the medication kicks in. If I haven't taken the pills yet, then the longer I sit there the worse my joints will stiffen up, until we have an Incident involving having to call the front desk and say the words "stuck" and "toilet" in the same sentence.

Now my only problem involves the fact that I've heard Pop Century handicapped rooms ONLY come with a king-sized bed, and you can't get a handicapped room with a double bed. I'll be calling them today to find out if that's true... hopefully either it's mistaken information, or it's been changed since then. This year for the first time I'm bringing my little sister to Disney, and she kicks something fierce in her sleep! Not only that, but we may (hopefully) be meeting up with her best friend in the whole world, Roo, who moved to Florida when they were in junior high. They only see each other every few years, so we're hoping Roo can make a day trip to Orlando while we're there and spend some time. If it were just me and my sister, I suppose I could always line the center of the big bed with pillows and maybe wear some shin guards to sleep, lol... but I'm simply not comfortable sharing with TWO other women, one of whom isn't family.

Anyway, let's hope I don't end up having to choose between the double bed and the toilet, lol. Thanks again for all the help!

Jenni

 

[SueM in MN]

Now my only problem involves the fact that I've heard Pop Century handicapped rooms ONLY come with a king-sized bed, and you can't get a handicapped room with a double bed. I'll be calling them today to find out if that's true... hopefully either it's mistaken information, or it's been changed since then.
Anyway, let's hope I don't end up having to choose between the double bed and the toilet, lol. Thanks again for all the help!

Jenni

There are 2 types of handicapped rooms.
The first type is handicapped accessible, but not necessarily wheelchair accessible. That kind has a tub with grab bars and a raised seat toilet. That kind of room has the same arrangement of space as a non-handicapped room.
The other type is fully wheelchair accessible. Those rooms have grab bars, a roll in shower, raised seat toilet and a sink you can roll up to with wheelchair. To make room for the roll in shower and room for a wheelchair in the bathroom, the bathroom area is bigger. Since the room is no bigger than the non-handicapped rooms, they 'take' space from the bedroom to make the bathroom big enough. Some rooms are large enough to have 2 beds and still have room enough to have a 3 foot wide wheelchair access space.
Some rooms don't and those rooms will have a single King bed. Depending on the size of the room, you may be able to get a rollaway bed in the room with a King bed if you need a roll in shower.

If you go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, one of the posts is about accommodations in resort rooms. There is a phone number in that post for Special Reservations Department. They would be able to help you with your questions.

 

[chaospearl]

I gave the Special Reservations folks a call today!

Unfortunately, it turned out that my information was correct. The Pop Century does not have rooms that include a roll-in shower AND a double bed. All the roll-in shower rooms come with king-sized beds. They can provide a rollaway bed, but I really don't think my sister wants to spend her vacation sleeping on a folding cot while I get a huge king mattress!

The extremely helpful lady I spoke to told me that ASM does have handicapped rooms available with double beds, but I decided not to switch hotels because I'm already booked into a refrigerator swap at the Pop. It's not THAT big a deal. I think what we're going to do is simply share the king-sized bed. My sister and I are very small people and we're both used to sleeping in a single\twin bed, so sharing the king should work out fine. If Roo does come to stay with us for one night, we'll put her on the rollaway.

It's not what I would have preferred, but it's the best option available and this is Disney World -- I'm not going to get all upset over a stupid thing like sharing a gigantic bed with my teensy sister! The important part is that I will be able to use both the toilet and the shower without needing any help.

Jenni

 

[mechurchlady]

chaospearl that sounds like the line "your money or your wife?", lol.
Your bathroom freedom or sleeping with your sister?

I would go with the bathroom freedom. If she hogs the covers then slip some ice down her back. I may be fat but I am short enough to sleep crosswise on a king sized bed with no problems.