Accessible public lavatory facilities are a significant issue when you are a person who uses a wheelchair. Although adequately designed restrooms are becoming more frequent, other challenges can complicate the task. I worked for an engineering firm with ADA design rules and regulations, but no disabled person to explain how to assemble those parts. Just because you have all the ingredients for a birthday cake, there will only be a celebration if you combine them correctly.

I have always been an averagely sized guy at 5 ft 6 in and hovering around 150 pounds with a Pillsbury doughboy squishy center. My heaviest was around the end of my marriage when I was two hundred pounds, as she was a superb cook and excellent baker. The first year of my wheelchair life, I had a cumbersome hospital-sized wheelchair for average-sized adults. This information lets you know that the size of me and my wheelchair has never been an issue when using public facilities. The following chronicles are a few examples of the inadequacies of public restroom facilities that I often deal with.

I hope you are sitting down when you read this inexplicable, unbelievable, and unacceptable public bathroom amenities tale. A vivid memory resides intensely burned in my brain of the first inaccessible restroom I encountered as a wheelchair user. I struggled with an old, oversized, arm-powered wheelchair I had been using for only two months. At Mount Carmel West Hospital in Columbus, OH, I saw a neurologist at the neurology clinic to treat my multiple sclerosis.

I suddenly had to take a tepid tinkle and began searching for the facilities to relieve my internal plumbing pressure. Jan jumped up quickly from the waiting room to help me with my door struggles, as it was heavy and awkward to handle while rolling on wheels. She opened the door as wide as possible, and I looked inside and saw the magical space of a highly accessible bathroom. Unfortunately, the door jam stopped me as I tried to maneuver and wiggle my manual mechanism through the door opening with no success. I sat positively perplexed at how this inadequate facility of bathroom variety could be acceptable at a hospital neurology clinic. Although it is improving, this situation is more common than you think.

When visiting the Columbus, OH, Board of Health to acquire a certificate of birth, I needed to visit the Blatter Evacuation Center. My dad drove me to this place for the paperwork to prove I lived, so we began our trek to locate an accessible bathroom. I grabbed the door handle to enter the facilities, and it felt like I was dragging a six-thousand-pound elephant across the street. My dad, who was in his 50s and ambulatory, grabbed the door and pulled, saying it was like pulling a loaded wheelbarrow with a flat tire. I have used many bathrooms with extremely heavy or excessively narrow doorways, so I do not believe entries are considered with accessibility.

About ten years ago, they examined my eyes at a place called Blind People Optical Emporium or something like that, as I needed glasses badly. I requested directions to the facilities to relieve my achy, breaky bladder and quickly return to search frames for my face. Trying to get to the restroom, I found the door opened incorrectly, blocking the walking path because the hinge was on the wrong side. This situation means it would block the hallway when the door opens, proving they do not consider entry points in ADA regulations.

Now, onto a more lugubrious story because it is about a Recreation Center in my new neighborhood. While at this rec center event, I needed to visit the facilities to dehydrate so I could rehydrate, as hydration is essential. The door opened inward and was not excessively heavy, so I quickly pushed it open with my chair and entered the room. As I tried to exit, what made things truly challenging was location, location, location. The awkward metal trashcan blocked the door, which was in the corner in an unfortunate position, and the door handle to exit was too far out of my reach. They seldom alter entryways sufficiently to accommodate accessibility needs.

They explained that, unfortunately, the rules for the Americans with Disabilities Act do not work like most people think they should. These guidelines only apply to government buildings, not businesses, which are private property. Most companies do the bare minimum, installing grab bars and adding extra space where needed. These corporations follow ADA rules extremely loosely because they look good to the average Joe but often not to the wheelchair user. Typically, these businesses respond slowly, if at all, when there is a need for new equipment or repair for existing accessibility options. Keep in mind that in this blog, I only discuss the accessibility, specifically doorways of public bathrooms. “Eyes are the windows to our souls,” yet doorways are the windows to…well, nothing because they are not windows but doors.

I can’t open doors that aren’t open. But if a door opens, I would be happy to walk through. -Becky Hammon

You better change your attitude, mister, or I will change it for you. I remember occasionally hearing those words as a kid, and I wondered how anyone could change someone else’s disposition. I considered that question, but I was smart enough never to verbalize it, which would have been bad for my physical health. So instead, as a young man, I tried to have a great attitude, no matter the situation. And meditating while camping in Mother Nature in the Boy Scouts always helped tremendously. I now stay positive and hope a smile or kind words I give is just what someone needs to change their outlook on life.

There are a lot of negative issues that come with a medical diagnosis, like multiple sclerosis. However, any disease can weigh heavily on your body physically, mentally, emotionally, and even socially at any step of the way. When someone with any medical condition cannot do things they once did, it becomes inevitable to lose friends. This situation makes it easy to fall into darkness, causing you to act bitter and abrasive to others, encouraging them to reciprocate. Therefore, improving your outlook is essential for your mental and social health.

I do several tasks to help boost my happy hormones and encourage joy in my life. First, a pleasant personality in public will inspire others to be joyful, as a cheerful attitude is contagious. In other words, a friendly smile begets empathetic compassion, while a melancholy frown attracts apathetic indifference. So, no matter your medical diagnosis, you will probably go through the five stages of grief at your speed. However, I have heard you should fake it till you make it, so while traveling through this acceptance process, paste on a smile and reap the rewards.

Consuming complementary cuisine is one of the first issues to keep a healthy and cheery life. There are many diets, no matter if you are trying to get healthy or have a medical condition to help. Most diets are good, so I recommend finding the one that fits best into your lifestyle. Healthy eating is important because it helps you physically and benefits your brain and cognition. For example, when I feel good and think clearly, it is easier to wear a smile and be pleasant at all times, making life better, not bitter.

Another essential duty for a happy life is getting into a solid sleep routine. For a while, I had a sleep doctor who helped me become well-rested through my downtime difficulties. While sleeping, your brain reboots like a computer, and the lack of proper slumber stops this much-needed cognitive reset. If you nap for several hours in the daytime, it will be tough to sleep at night, making you tired the next day, causing a vicious cycle. So, limit your daytime naps to thirty minutes, but no more than an hour, using timers or alarms to create a good sleep structure. It may be difficult initially, but you will appreciate your work once your body and brain adjust.

Meditation has physical, mental, and even emotional benefits, and practicing is the best way to receive these potential perks. One option to reach peace is to set aside a specific time every day to put your brain in a meditative state. This repetitive action will help you continually manage and reduce the stress that can otherwise ruin your day. Starting with only five minutes at a specific time of day puts you into a tranquil place that will help you all day. Another option is taking slow and controlled breaths that can aid you mentally if caught in traffic or other stressful situations. This continually calming practice will reduce blood pressure and stress, making you and your doctor extremely happy.

No matter if you are taking vitamin D or basking daily in natural sunlight, there are a plethora of perks for your enjoyment. When soaking up the sunlight in your life, these physical and mental benefits help in unexpected ways. Lapping up solar rays can help bone health and fight infections, diabetes, and cancers alike. Sunlight saturation can also raise your serotonin production levels, boosting your mood and making you happier.

Exercise is not merely for toning and building muscles, but also for brain betterment. It boosts the creation of several chemicals in the brain, like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. These brain compounds help the body reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, helping to eliminate the need for pills. Thus, there are just as many benefits to exercise for the mind as for the body, if not more. As little as thirty minutes a day of physical activity can have you reaping the rewards of these brain-boosting benefits.

It is understandable to be sad after a medical diagnosis that can ultimately and drastically change your life. The struggles are real and plentiful, but it is essential to lean on your support system and those who truly understand your condition. Your friends and family are great and may empathize, but those dealing with the same issues have a much deeper understanding of your struggles. So it is in your best interest to keep your visit to this dismally dark place brief, like your life depends on it because it does. Then, follow the steps I previously discussed to make a new and better life for yourself and your support system.

If you are kind to others, you run the risk of them being kind to you.