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.
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.