Quote:
Originally Posted by CongoJack
Coming up with specific proposals may be a challenge for groups that wouldn't have access to much of the information that would impact the cost of adding toilets. It would be like asking a contractor to give a quote on adding a second bathroom to a house without telling them anything about the house. Suggested locations and ballpark estimates would be possible, but not anything that could be used for decision-making purposes.
I'm also leery of telling advocacy groups that the onus is on them to analyze a situation and come up with a solution. Here we are talking about accessibility for individuals with disabilities, so I think it is incumbent on government to take the lead in consultation with different groups.
Lastly, a lot could be done with existing toilets that could make new toilets unnecessary in many areas; however, as it stands their simple physical existence does not address the issue. For which hours are they open to the public? Is there location clearly advertised? Are they actually open to the public, or are they really meant only for customers? If so, do we want to put people in a situation where they have to explain to some cashier or security guard that they can't wait to go?
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I take your point that community groups don't necessarily have the capacity to put together super detailed plans, but I think they need to do a better job of explaining what they want. Every 6 months the citizen runs an article on how there are not enough public toilets and interviews someone with a medical condition that requires them to use a toilet frequently but those articles rarely provide any details on where and when the problem is occurring, which is vital information to developing a solution. The person interviewed in the article above seems to suggest the bus ride is a concern, so building more public washrooms downtown (or in LRT stations for that matter) wouldn't help that very much.
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