As a trans man, only once in 40 years have I been unable to use the public loos. As a disabled man, too often to recount. Anne Wafula Strike (Paralympian forced to wet herself, 2 January) and Penny Pepper (When nature calls we all need to answer, 4 January) outline the experiences of all (yes, all) people in the UK who require an accessible toilet (and only a minority of us are wheelchair users).
There is an answer: a legal requirement that by 2025 all toilets outside the home are accessible, with an “in the meantime” requirement that all refits are made accessible. And I mean all loos, not just one but all in a building. Exemptions could be given for ancient buildings; however, exemptions must be exceptional. Imagination is the real answer. Made to imagine wetting or shitting themselves in public, providers would find answers. A requirement to clearly advertise the day’s accessibility and limitations of the loos would mean service users were warned.
Rail companies, however, have no excuse; it is a matter of service and sufficient cleaning staff. Airlines also; have you seen the space in the first-class shower? In small planes they could unload a row of seats and a tiny slice of profit.
Finally, dump the gender signs. They not only intimidate the gender-different, but they also make for the inefficient use of available loo space.
While we wait, we should use the provisions of the Equality Act to demand some compensation for our humiliation; money soon creates change.
Stephen Whittle
Professor of equalities law, Manchester Law School
• As a disabled person in my 20s, my biggest challenge (as I suspect it is for many of my peers) in finding secure, full-time employment has been in trying to overcome preconceived, negative perceptions that employers can potentially have about my skills and capabilities, and fears about my disability affecting my ability to work (The crisis of disabled millennials, 9 January).
In order to improve the lives of young disabled people in this country we need better education, more empathy and understanding about disability and about the potential of disabled teens and young adults to lead ordinary, independent lives, playing meaningful and productive roles in our communities, including within the working world. It is hard for young disabled people who are trying to stay positive and hopeful for the future not to become despondent when there are so many barriers in the way of disabled people of all ages in attaining equal access to training, opportunities and employment.
Laura Gregory
Wrexham
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